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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffed
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Two hours later, they were handcuffed and taken for fingerprinting, and their hope grew stronger.
—Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Federal indictments filed in early October, accusing 32 people of a multi-million dollar gambling ring, is what led to Miami Heat’s veteran guard Terry Rozier being handcuffed and kicked out of the NBA.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Police ordered Allen to kneel, handcuffed him, and searched him.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was handcuffed in its budgeting.
—Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Others pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
In the video, her siblings – 12-year-old Jasmin and 10-year-old Kevin – cried as their parents and brother sat handcuffed in ICE vehicles.
—Maria Santana, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
The city of San Jose and Mayor Matt Mahan had sponsored the bill, lamenting how the longstanding rules handcuffed their ability to address the thousands of shopping carts left on city streets and in its waterways.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Rinderknecht appeared in court wearing white jail garb and a chain around his waist, but he was not handcuffed, per FOX 11.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Two hours later, they were handcuffed and taken for fingerprinting, and their hope grew stronger.
—Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Federal indictments filed in early October, accusing 32 people of a multi-million dollar gambling ring, is what led to Miami Heat’s veteran guard Terry Rozier being handcuffed and kicked out of the NBA.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Police ordered Allen to kneel, handcuffed him, and searched him.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was handcuffed in its budgeting.
—Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Others pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
In the video, her siblings – 12-year-old Jasmin and 10-year-old Kevin – cried as their parents and brother sat handcuffed in ICE vehicles.
—Maria Santana, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
The city of San Jose and Mayor Matt Mahan had sponsored the bill, lamenting how the longstanding rules handcuffed their ability to address the thousands of shopping carts left on city streets and in its waterways.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
These brawls further eroded democratic norms, while driving voters away from left-wing and moderate parties who seemed helpless to halt them.—
Time,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
She was resigned to her fate, helpless with indignation.—
Jack O'Connor,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It’s bounded by the Boise River and runs all the way into the Foothills.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Oct. 2025
-
As much as 200 feet on the block that includes the Apple Store and Rally House (site of the former Halls Department Store), bounded by Nichols Road, Central Street and Wyandotte Street.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Scalability is also hampered by using hazardous, non-recyclable solvents in many processes.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Laboratory testing capacities at the CDC and expert guidance to analyze local trends may also be hampered during the shutdown, experts say.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition, the left side of his face became paralyzed.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In August, Elon Musk’s Neuralink expanded to the UK with a clinical study testing its brain chip to help paralyzed patients control devices through thought.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Game 3 is a must-win as the series is currently tied at one, and the winner of Monday's game will immediately be put in the best position to take home a World Series title.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The newlywed woman and her new husband tied the knot in a civil ceremony at their property.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Charges The obstruction charge centers on allegations that Comey directed subordinates to remove or conceal those memos from FBI systems after his dismissal in May 2017, actions prosecutors claim impeded a lawful investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified material.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
For years, technological, geographical and financial hurdles impeded wave and tide energy development.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Relief on that levy—which stacks on top of Liberation Day tariffs—could be a boon for the Asian nation at a time when domestic demand is weak.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
There, interactions between streams of liquid iron generate a magnetic field one quintillion times more powerful than that of an ordinary lab magnet (but thousands of times weaker than the Sun’s).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Last month, immigration authorities raided a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detained 300 South Korean workers and showed video of some of them shackled in chains.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Donna appeared in the Tallahassee courtroom on Monday, shackled in a purple jumpsuit.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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