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
Law enforcement began handcuffing and pulling people sitting in front of the office’s gates.
—
Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Moments later, police officers suddenly surrounded him, ordering him to the ground and handcuffing him, the local station reported.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Soon after, four police officers can be seen running up to him and tackling him to the ground before handcuffing him and searching his belongings.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The footage also shows officers handcuffing him.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Multiple deputies responded to assist in handcuffing Adair, the KBI said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
The sight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents handcuffing and chaining the wrists, waists and ankles of skilled technicians shocked South Koreans.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
The deputy saw the interaction and decided to investigate, handcuffing the girl in the process.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 Aug. 2025
The video shows deputies handcuffing him and escorting him to a vehicle, at which point the handcuffs are removed from his wrists.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Moments later, police officers suddenly surrounded him, ordering him to the ground and handcuffing him, the local station reported.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Soon after, four police officers can be seen running up to him and tackling him to the ground before handcuffing him and searching his belongings.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The footage also shows officers handcuffing him.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Multiple deputies responded to assist in handcuffing Adair, the KBI said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
The sight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents handcuffing and chaining the wrists, waists and ankles of skilled technicians shocked South Koreans.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
The deputy saw the interaction and decided to investigate, handcuffing the girl in the process.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 Aug. 2025
The video shows deputies handcuffing him and escorting him to a vehicle, at which point the handcuffs are removed from his wrists.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffing
Verb
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Caffeine boosts energy by blocking a neurotransmitter, called adenosine, from binding to receptors in the brain.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
7 Nov. 2025
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Transporting research animals typically requires legally binding contracts that prohibit the parties involved from disclosing information, Tulane University said in a statement to the AP.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Polls previously found Abughazaleh in second place in the Democratic primary, but her run could be complicated by a federal indictment for impeding an ICE operation in Chicago.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
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Previously, his arguments have been focused largely on moderating inflation and the importance of the Fed not impeding economic growth with higher rates.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Look, Penn State fans need something positive here to remember, so let’s turn to a White Out in 2013 when Robinson soared far above Channing Stribling, seemingly suspended in midair, to haul in a miracle heave from Christian Hackenberg that set up a tying touchdown en route to a four-overtime win.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Acuff then missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with seven seconds left, though the Razorbacks came up with another offensive rebound that survived a challenge by Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And since the deal, Israel has refused to reengage with the agency, hampering large-scale relief efforts.—
Jeremy Konyndyk,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Oct. 2025
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With injuries and inconsistency hampering the wide receiver corps, the Commanders are set to host former Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick Treylon Burks.—
Josh Buckhalter,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Arpaio became well known for his harsh treatment of immigrants and jail inmates, confining them in tents without air conditioning in Arizona’s torrid climate.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Miškinis and writer Eglė Vertelytė (who adapts Rimantas Kmita’s semi-autobiographical novel) masterfully dodge genre tropes, avoiding confining their characters to simplistic labels and keeping the focus of their arcs self-motivated.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Numerous people continued to protest outside the farm’s fences, and CFIA has warned the farm’s supporters from hindering government operations, or flying drones over the site.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Insufficient domestic funding is hindering education progress in Africa as most governments fail to meet global funding benchmarks, wrote Human Rights Watch.—
Obiageli Ezekwesili,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Salah was convicted in April on one count of planting the hoax bomb and another count of obstructing the free exercise of religion.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is facing federal charges for allegedly obstructing agents trying to arrest an undocumented immigrant.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Loomer settled for chaining herself to the company’s New York office.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Many Spanish eateries keep tables and chairs outdoors, even after hours, by stacking them together and even chaining them to deter theft.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffing. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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