as in bind
something that physically prevents free movement
the man reluctantly held out his wrists so the policeman could snap on handcuffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in binds
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 hampers
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 handcuffs
Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Officers eventually placed the man into handcuffs after a struggle.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
So the detectives wanted Ryan in handcuffs.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
As the viral bit has made the rounds on social media, stars including Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, Gigi Hadid and Joe Keery have found themselves in Carpenter's fuzzy handcuffs.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2025
Their return capped a week of intense negotiations by Seoul to win their release and bring them home after they were taken into custody in handcuffs and shackles.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Anne Hathaway tried out Sabrina Carpenter's fuzzy pink handcuffs during the pop star's concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Baltimore County officials are now calling for a review of how Kenwood High School uses the AI gun detection system and why the teen ended up in handcuffs despite school safety officials quickly determining there was no weapon.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Carpenter then tossed Hadid her signature furry pink handcuffs as Hadid blew her a kiss.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Omar Kelly
august 19, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
At the crash site, some of the rescuers find Morrow, who holds them at gunpoint and handcuffs them together in the lab.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
Brown was seen in handcuffs after the incident, but no arrests were made at the time because police could not locate a victim, WPLG reported.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Officers eventually placed the man into handcuffs after a struggle.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
So the detectives wanted Ryan in handcuffs.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
As the viral bit has made the rounds on social media, stars including Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, Gigi Hadid and Joe Keery have found themselves in Carpenter's fuzzy handcuffs.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2025
Their return capped a week of intense negotiations by Seoul to win their release and bring them home after they were taken into custody in handcuffs and shackles.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Anne Hathaway tried out Sabrina Carpenter's fuzzy pink handcuffs during the pop star's concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Baltimore County officials are now calling for a review of how Kenwood High School uses the AI gun detection system and why the teen ended up in handcuffs despite school safety officials quickly determining there was no weapon.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Carpenter then tossed Hadid her signature furry pink handcuffs as Hadid blew her a kiss.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
But this unit is two plays — or better yet, two injuries — from being a disaster that handcuffs Miami’s offense, like last year’s unit did, after Grier laughed at the media for its concern about fragile state of the 2024 O-line.
—Omar Kelly
august 19, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
At the crash site, some of the rescuers find Morrow, who holds them at gunpoint and handcuffs them together in the lab.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffs
Noun
-
Alvarado put the Phillies in a bind this season, and that might not be easy for those in the clubhouse to forgive.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Similarly to Young in Week 2 against Arizona, Dalton’s giveaways put the Panthers in a bind early.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Philanthropy can be the glue that binds generations.—
William Jarvis,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
-
However, there's also another tie that binds the sparkling statements Meghan and Eugenie made, as both of their only tiara wears to date.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Damage to the blood-brain barrier leads to inflammation within the brain and hampers the clearance of waste products like beta-amyloid protein (seen in Alzheimer's disease).—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Texas Roadhouse, which also operates casual dining chains Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers, is expected to report third-quarter results at the end of October.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Martian atmosphere presents a major obstacle to safely and precisely landing on the surface, and also hinders any attempts to return contents (or people) back to Earth.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Therefore, the siloed nature of retail, not a lack of skills or resources, will prove to be the most significant barrier that hinders progress.—
Raj Dhiman,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The chain started with a single location in Rogers in 2017 and offers more than 20,000 drink combinations.—
John Magsam,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The content creator dressed in a stunning array of jewels, a chain-style seashell dress from Paco Rabanne retailing for nearly $4,000, and a metallic purse.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
More than a century on, that mark ties him to Dan Ballard and the Sunderland-Arsenal Premier League match at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In the final act, Baramulla ties all its threads together.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your progress and growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
22 Oct. 2025
-
If a mental image only impedes the human’s process of emulation, why should her mindedness make Celmins’s web less natural than the spider’s?—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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