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
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 handcuffs
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Cody Balmer, 36, appeared for the plea hearing at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg wearing a dark red jumpsuit, handcuffs and ankle chains.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Former convicts include Millie Bobby Brown and Margaret Qualley, who were both gifted the artist’s fluffy pink handcuffs while attending one of her shows.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 12 Oct. 2025
Agents arrested some 475 people—including more than 300 South Korean contractors—and led them away in shackles and handcuffs.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025
Both were taken off the field in handcuffs.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Trouble with the law Bishnoi’s first time in handcuffs came when he was arrested for an alleged assault in 2010.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
At that point, he was thrown on the bottom bunk bed while still wearing handcuffs, the affidavit said.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
What To Know Video footage posted to social media showed Sortor, a popular figure among the MAGA movement, in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 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
Like the cumbersome, omnipresent sheriff's duty belt, complete with handgun, handcuffs and the works.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Cody Balmer, 36, appeared for the plea hearing at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg wearing a dark red jumpsuit, handcuffs and ankle chains.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Former convicts include Millie Bobby Brown and Margaret Qualley, who were both gifted the artist’s fluffy pink handcuffs while attending one of her shows.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 12 Oct. 2025
Agents arrested some 475 people—including more than 300 South Korean contractors—and led them away in shackles and handcuffs.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025
Both were taken off the field in handcuffs.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Trouble with the law Bishnoi’s first time in handcuffs came when he was arrested for an alleged assault in 2010.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
At that point, he was thrown on the bottom bunk bed while still wearing handcuffs, the affidavit said.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
What To Know Video footage posted to social media showed Sortor, a popular figure among the MAGA movement, in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 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
-
That high tax puts even the heirs in a bind.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The organization was in a bureaucratic bind, and had to find a way to hold what should have been the second major of 2020 or risk financial peril.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On the smallest scales, the strong nuclear force binds quarks into bound structures, three-at-a-time, known as baryons.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The drug binds to a particular protein on immune system cells called T cells and reduces their ability to attack the body’s beta cells.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 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
-
At the same time, the Administration has put pressure on tech firms to take down activity that hinders its agenda.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
-
In addition to delivering high-quality search results, this method hinders search-engine cheating; artificially boosting your web page by putting up a thousand pages linking to it won’t accomplish much if those pages have low status.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Around 2013, Hewson was part of an email chain of around twenty researchers working on the problem.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
As for accessories, Stewart added a silver chain necklace to her ensemble with a small padlock motif.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The rapid proliferation and growth of spot ETFs like those for bitcoin and ether – as well as the potential for dozens more once regulatory operations resume at full capacity – also ties into another important change.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Nothing ties together a travel outfit quite like a crisp pair of leather sneakers.—
Emily Belfiore,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth and progress.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share