1
as in binding
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impeding
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 handcuffing
Agents then discharged their weapons and pursued Allen, exchanging gunfire and later tackling and handcuffing him.
—
Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
The video sees one officer remove cash, a pair of AirPods, and pills from his pocket during the search before handcuffing him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Common Knowledge The right’s first instinct after the ruling was to treat it as another case of judges handcuffing a president who was trying to act decisively in the national interest.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While the juvenile was on his stomach, Officer Dugan allegedly used his espantoon on the back of the juvenile's neck, before handcuffing him and placing him in the patrol car.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
That means there’s no constitutional precedent for handcuffing the commander in chief as congressional Democrats demand.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
The video sees one officer remove cash, a pair of AirPods, and pills from his pocket during the search before handcuffing him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Common Knowledge The right’s first instinct after the ruling was to treat it as another case of judges handcuffing a president who was trying to act decisively in the national interest.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While the juvenile was on his stomach, Officer Dugan allegedly used his espantoon on the back of the juvenile's neck, before handcuffing him and placing him in the patrol car.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
That means there’s no constitutional precedent for handcuffing the commander in chief as congressional Democrats demand.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffing
Verb
-
While Iran has signed but not ratified the convention, it is considered by the legal community as binding under customary international law.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
The May 20 resolution is not legally binding in itself.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
At only 32 inches wide and just over a foot deep, this chest of drawers provides ample storage space without impeding a walkway or taking over your small bedroom.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
13 May 2026
-
The insurance industry has pushed back, arguing the bill would ultimately make coverage less affordable by impeding accurate pricing.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Bichette dropped a flare into shallow center field out of the reach of converging defenders, allowing Torrens to score the tying run, and Benge to go to first.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
James would score two big goals in the series, a tying goal in the second period of Game 5 and the Lightning’s only goal in Game 7, on the power play.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In the third game of his career, the 2024 second-round pick re-tore the ACL in his right knee, further hampering an injury history that dated back to his final year at the University of Texas.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
-
According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the truck drove through the airport's version of a stop light and the vehicle lacked a transponder, hampering a crash warning system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And a key component of the novel and the show is the setting itself, which is a real impeachment of our mental health system, this history of confining and discarding lives that has spilled out into the streets of America.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
From corrective eye surgery to confining plasma for nuclear fusion research and from entertainment to quickening checkout at supermarkets, lasers are now part of our everyday lives.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials say that bright sunlight hindering the driver's vision could be a possible contributing factor.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
The state law DeSantis signed last summer bars local governments from enforcing regulations hindering the construction or operation of a presidential library, as defined by the federal Presidential Libraries Act.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families.—
Brandon Scott,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Feb. 2026
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Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees.—
Anna Moeslein,
Glamour,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Former court clerk pleads guilty Hill pleaded guilty to perjury, obstructing justice and misconduct in office and was sentenced to three years' probation and 100 hours of community service.—
Marlene Lenthang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
Republican voters will choose between challenger Holly Cook and incumbent Ryan Davidson for the Ada County Commission District 1 seat in Tuesday’s primary, with both candidates carrying significant legal histories ranging from bankruptcy to contempt of court to resisting or obstructing officers.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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