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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of handcuffed
Kendrick Calfee
updated February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Friedland called 911 after finding Thomas handcuffed and with her throat slashed near their 10-month-old baby’s crib, a police affidavit said.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
After the man was handcuffed, officers noticed that he was injured as a result of the struggle, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2026
The officers allegedly handcuffed Streeter and threatened to shoot them with Beecham’s own gun, according to the complaint.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Photographs taken by the police show the van on its side and a group of young Somali men, including Ahmed, handcuffed and lying face down in the grass.
—Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Ecklund was handcuffed and taken to the Whipple building.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Kyles traveled with Jackson to Arkansas for a march after a 21-year-old man, Chavis Carter, was fatally shot in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car.
—Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 17 Feb. 2026
The team signed these men years after their peak seasons, including contract language that gave the players much of the power, and Edmonton is now handcuffed when looking to move them.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
After being handcuffed, Brian Nataren said he was taken to municipal court and questioned before being released.
—Kendrick Calfee
updated February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Friedland called 911 after finding Thomas handcuffed and with her throat slashed near their 10-month-old baby’s crib, a police affidavit said.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
After the man was handcuffed, officers noticed that he was injured as a result of the struggle, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2026
The officers allegedly handcuffed Streeter and threatened to shoot them with Beecham’s own gun, according to the complaint.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Photographs taken by the police show the van on its side and a group of young Somali men, including Ahmed, handcuffed and lying face down in the grass.
—Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Ecklund was handcuffed and taken to the Whipple building.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Kyles traveled with Jackson to Arkansas for a march after a 21-year-old man, Chavis Carter, was fatally shot in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car.
—Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 17 Feb. 2026
The team signed these men years after their peak seasons, including contract language that gave the players much of the power, and Edmonton is now handcuffed when looking to move them.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
Volantis, whose seven shutout innings were achieved with remarkable ease, is the latest Texas arm to render the opposition helpless.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The timing of this recent turn to tanking is just another example of the helpless, tireless tardiness that has plagued the Karnišovas era in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On February 13th, Grace Van Patten and Jackson White and Grace Gummer and Mark Ronson watched Veronica Leoni’s Calvin Klein Collection come down the runway, while Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector bounded between Fforme and Kallmeyer.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Photos shared by the department show a silvery gray fox bounding majestically across a white snowy plain beneath towering, sunlit alpine peaks.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the aftermath of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, which racked up billions in damage, numerous fire survivors have detailed a recovery process hampered by insurance.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Efforts to harness kesterite’s full potential have also so far been hampered by defects formed during the manufacturing process.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Without herd immunity to protect him, a 20-year-old unvaccinated man became paralyzed.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Three of the teenagers suffered serious injuries; Cabey was left paralyzed.—
Michael Bobelian,
Washington Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So far, Iran’s proxies have not carried out retaliatory attacks tied to the strikes against Iran, though that could change.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Petite in shape yet powerful in presence, unofficial popularity rankings have Prada’s silk green tied with Celine’s leather cobalt blue for first place.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a letter, Hassan asked the DHS inspector general to investigate whether those comments have impeded or biased the investigations into the deaths of Good and Pretti, citing an exchange with another administration official as reason to open a probe.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
-
It’s helped by the mascot at a certain point, rather than impeded.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This change will appeal to voters who have been shackled by ever-increasing insurance premiums and watched prices skyrocket for consumer goods ranging from soda pop to pickup trucks.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
-
On Thursday, Schaefer was led into a Chicago federal courtroom dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
