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
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
But prison guards threw the decision in the trash, handcuffed Landor to a chair and shaved his head, his lawyers said.
—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
He was handcuffed and appeared considerably thinner than before his arrest.
—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
As he was handcuffed and removed from the courtroom, spectators erupted in cheers and applause, according to footage from the courtroom.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Martinez was taken from her still-running vehicle and handcuffed, and no warrant was shown, according to the complaint.
—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
During the traffic stop, according to the lawsuit, officers pointed firearms at Cartee and handcuffed him behind his back before pulling him backward by the arms into the patrol vehicle and mocking him for being in pain.
—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
After Griffin arrived at the hospital to meet Parker, he was handcuffed and questioned by authorities.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Police have not named the suspect, who appeared in other videos walking handcuffed down the street with Maple and Clutch, mascot heads back in place.
—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
About 14 minutes after officers handcuffed Martin, officers could be seen carrying Martin out of the house, because, police said, the paramedics’ gurney could not make it inside the home.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
But prison guards threw the decision in the trash, handcuffed Landor to a chair and shaved his head, his lawyers said.
—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
He was handcuffed and appeared considerably thinner than before his arrest.
—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
As he was handcuffed and removed from the courtroom, spectators erupted in cheers and applause, according to footage from the courtroom.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Martinez was taken from her still-running vehicle and handcuffed, and no warrant was shown, according to the complaint.
—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
During the traffic stop, according to the lawsuit, officers pointed firearms at Cartee and handcuffed him behind his back before pulling him backward by the arms into the patrol vehicle and mocking him for being in pain.
—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
After Griffin arrived at the hospital to meet Parker, he was handcuffed and questioned by authorities.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Police have not named the suspect, who appeared in other videos walking handcuffed down the street with Maple and Clutch, mascot heads back in place.
—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
But when his son Naseer was born in May 2025, Ajas Ahmed had never felt so helpless.
-
Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.
Verb
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Over a century later, the Himalayan blackberry has spread far beyond the modest backyard bounds its importers envisioned, opting instead to take over indiscriminately and displace the native trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus) in the process.
-
What The $10 Million Cap Changes At the old $1 million ceiling, operational risk was bounded by the dollar amount.
Verb
-
Slowing the virus’ spread has been hampered by the fact that there is no known treatment or vaccine for the new Bundibugyo strain.
-
Peterson was considered by many the top prospect in this year’s class, but his stock was hampered by injury issues during his lone season at Kansas.
Adjective
-
The teen, who was crossing the street at the time, was run over twice by the truck, causing catastrophic injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down, local ABC affiliate WKBW reported.
-
Surely there were those in attendance, and those watching, who conjured horrible thoughts of Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley being left permanently paralyzed from the chest down after taking a vicious hit from the Oakland Raiders’ Jack Tatum during a 1978 preseason game.
Verb
-
Friday’s output tied for the second-most runs in a game for the Sox.
-
The score was tied, 1-1, when reliever Huascar Brazobán entered to begin the seventh, replacing Thornton, who had thrown 78 pitches.
Verb
-
Supporters had campaigned for Merlin to be allowed into the Azteca to witness Mexico’s final group game — but the dabbler found his free passage impeded on Wednesday evening by FIFA regulations.
-
The Sugar Act directly impeded colonial drinking, as molasses is a key ingredient in rum.
Adjective
-
Depressed wages, a weak currency and hyperinflation have continued to make life difficult for ordinary Venezuelans, many of whom struggle to afford basic goods.
-
There, the Sox scored on a weak, off-line throw from shallow left fielder José Caballero.
Verb
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Another vintage bit, which MTV also declined to air, involves Knoxville, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and shackled in handcuffs, entering a hardware store and asking for a hacksaw.
-
Written by Evan Cooper, Blood On The Promontory finds five convicts trying to escape through the mountains following a violent train robbery, while shackled together by foot.
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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