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
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Adair, still in handcuffs, is then picked up from the wheelchair by several deputies and placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk in his cell, the KBI said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 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
His hands were in handcuffs and he had been repeatedly shot in the head and torso, court documents say.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Video shows the moment an officer in camouflage and tactical gear approaches an individual, after which another officer tackles the person, restrains them with plastic handcuffs, and leads them away.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Following the sentencing, he was removed from the courtroom in handcuffs.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
An officer can also be seen passing in front of the camera with what looks like a person in handcuffs.
—Emma Bussey , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Eventually, the situation calmed, and Baker placed Skeet in handcuffs and arrested him, along with Medlin and two other ranch hands.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 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
According to the complaint, agents alleged the ID was fake and held him in handcuffs for more than an hour.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Adair, still in handcuffs, is then picked up from the wheelchair by several deputies and placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk in his cell, the KBI said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 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
His hands were in handcuffs and he had been repeatedly shot in the head and torso, court documents say.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Video shows the moment an officer in camouflage and tactical gear approaches an individual, after which another officer tackles the person, restrains them with plastic handcuffs, and leads them away.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Following the sentencing, he was removed from the courtroom in handcuffs.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
An officer can also be seen passing in front of the camera with what looks like a person in handcuffs.
—Emma Bussey , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Eventually, the situation calmed, and Baker placed Skeet in handcuffs and arrested him, along with Medlin and two other ranch hands.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 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
-
Tylenol and the pressure to 'tough it out' Medical experts and scholars worry that the recent claims about Tylenol put pregnant women and families in a difficult bind.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Kimmel show pause Disney's own stars also began to voice dissent, presenting a bind for a company that relies on big names to promote its signature franchises.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There’s an instinctual stitching that binds its many scenes together that build to a heartwrenching ending, culminating in neither a whimper nor a bang but a welcome sigh of relief.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Each atom binds separate electrons, whose exchange interaction mediates the nuclear two-qubit gate.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 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,
3 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,
27 Sep. 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
-
That kind of overload hinders change and makes future efforts more challenging.—
Daniel Schmeltz,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Nevertheless, the lack of efficient electrolytes with fast hydride ion conductivity, thermal stability, and electrode compatibility hinders their practical applications.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By the end of the year, the grocery store and home goods chain will have opened eight new supercenters and neighborhood markets across the United States, Charles Crowson, a Walmart spokesperson, told USA TODAY this week.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Amazon debuted its Fresh grocery chain in 2020, with an eye toward mass-market shoppers.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The choice also ties back to his ongoing collaboration with Adidas, a partnership that’s stretched across performance silhouettes and lifestyle drops.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Burt dissects every era and ties the albums to work by literary greats.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 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
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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 8 Oct. 2025.
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