as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
handcuffed by a dearth of funding, the preservation society can do little but stand by as these historic structures deteriorate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bound
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
wanted to take the trip, but was handcuffed by her responsibility to watch her ailing father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the fear that the new mandatory, standardized tests will handcuff the state's teachers, who will have to specifically tailor their lesson plans for the test
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffed
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Martinez is handcuffed and over a minute later, receives medical attention.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
In a matter of minutes, a dozen protesters had been handcuffed.
—A.c. Thompson, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2026
Not after Patel damaged them with his bat and Matthew Sandoval – in only his second start as a varsity pitcher – handcuffed the Bulldogs for six innings.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The Yellowjackets actress, 52, collaborated with fashion brand Wildfang on a clothing collection that includes a T-shirt featuring a print of her teenage self after she was handcuffed by police.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Video from the scene showed several people being handcuffed outside a home in the area.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Erin Marie Cowser alleged in a lawsuit filed Friday that a police officer body-slammed her face-first to the ground while she was handcuffed during a May 2025 incident.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
At the end, he was asked to put his hands behind his back and was handcuffed.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Four white police officers had beaten Black, handcuffed insurance agent Arthur McDuffie, 33, to death with their flashlights near the intersection of North Miami Avenue and 38th Street in December 1979.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Martinez is handcuffed and over a minute later, receives medical attention.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
In a matter of minutes, a dozen protesters had been handcuffed.
—A.c. Thompson, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2026
Not after Patel damaged them with his bat and Matthew Sandoval – in only his second start as a varsity pitcher – handcuffed the Bulldogs for six innings.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The Yellowjackets actress, 52, collaborated with fashion brand Wildfang on a clothing collection that includes a T-shirt featuring a print of her teenage self after she was handcuffed by police.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Video from the scene showed several people being handcuffed outside a home in the area.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Erin Marie Cowser alleged in a lawsuit filed Friday that a police officer body-slammed her face-first to the ground while she was handcuffed during a May 2025 incident.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
At the end, he was asked to put his hands behind his back and was handcuffed.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Then there’s the title character, who at first impression could be a helpless goldfish just waiting for any one of these alley cats to knock over her bowl and swallow her tail and all.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The region bounded by the hexagon began to turn a brownish-yellow, losing all trace of its initially blue appearance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Apr. 2026
-
San Diego’s Civic Center is the four-block, municipal compound bounded by A Street and C Street to the north and south, and First Avenue and Third Avenue to the east and west.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An amusing film if not altogether convincing, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is protracted and exceedingly hampered by imitation.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But it has been hampered by technical and staffing issues, the Financial Times reported, with passengers in 15 countries waiting up to three hours at security.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she's been left paralyzed from the neck down.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Adriana Maria, 16, was competing in a wrestling match at Matawan’s Old Bridge High School in January when a move left her paralyzed.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, the facility agreed in 2025 to surrender its state license to sell dogs as part of a legal settlement tied to an animal cruelty investigation, Dane County officials said in March.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Its 56 road points were the most in the Eastern Conference this season and tied Dallas for second most in the NHL.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This shall not be impeded by the cessation of hostilities.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Robert Brulle, a visiting professor at Brown University who studies fossil fuel lobbying, said ExxonMobil led efforts to discredit climate science that successfully impeded government intervention.—
Alex Kuffner,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Small hail is possible, and an isolated weak/brief tornado can't be ruled out.—
Mary Ours,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Sean McMorris, transparency, ethics and accountability program manager with California Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog, said in an email Friday that heavy reliance on outside vendors can increase the risk of fraud or mismanagement if oversight is weak.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While searching one of his homes, police discovered a room with a television screen broadcasting security footage and could see the elderly couple in a concrete room shackled to a wall, blindfolded.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The parents were shackled and sent to adult detention; the child was shipped to a federal shelter as an unaccompanied minor.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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