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
ABC News, 28 May 2026
Chopper 4 captured the moment deputies and troopers chased the man and put him in handcuffs.
—Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 27 May 2026
He was placed in handcuffs and taken away.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2026
The cold metal handcuffs dug into my wrists.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
What went into the decision to conclude season one with Coltrane on the run, as opposed to in handcuffs?
—Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Other facial recognition wrongful arrest cases Angela Lipps is not the first person to say facial recognition helped put them in handcuffs.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Tucker’s rapid-fire delivery is punctuated with sound effects, music cues, and the use of a variety of props dangling from his person at all times (including handcuffs, a wad of cash, and two guns).
—Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Ortiz sat quietly in the courtroom Wednesday wearing an orange jail uniform and handcuffs.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts severely handcuffs what the Falcons can do this offseason.
—Omar Kelly
march 8, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
While state law seemingly handcuffs local officials into approving solar projects, Richmond said residents and board members need to work together to fight solar power plants.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
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
After court officers led Santos out of the courtroom in handcuffs, the Chinatown activist, Karlin Chan, said the sentencing gives the community closure.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Chopper 4 captured the moment deputies and troopers chased the man and put him in handcuffs.
—Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 27 May 2026
He was placed in handcuffs and taken away.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2026
The cold metal handcuffs dug into my wrists.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
What went into the decision to conclude season one with Coltrane on the run, as opposed to in handcuffs?
—Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Other facial recognition wrongful arrest cases Angela Lipps is not the first person to say facial recognition helped put them in handcuffs.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Tucker’s rapid-fire delivery is punctuated with sound effects, music cues, and the use of a variety of props dangling from his person at all times (including handcuffs, a wad of cash, and two guns).
—Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Ortiz sat quietly in the courtroom Wednesday wearing an orange jail uniform and handcuffs.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026
Verb
The officer again tells Timberlake to turn around and handcuffs him.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts severely handcuffs what the Falcons can do this offseason.
—Omar Kelly
march 8, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
While state law seemingly handcuffs local officials into approving solar projects, Richmond said residents and board members need to work together to fight solar power plants.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
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
-
Back then, the Dallas Mavericks were in a bind, their point guard slipping away.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Yet polls show the president has been leading Republicans into politically perilous territory with the broader electorate, and his demands of absolute loyalty could put GOP lawmakers in a bind as the midterm election approaches with many of the president’s policies proving unpopular.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The other piece in this story is the man who binds Episodes 6 and 7 together –– despite them being separated by 300 years.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
27 May 2026
-
To retain the remaining six members, the Mountain West offered a distribution plan for the incoming exit and poaching fees in exchange for signing a grant of rights that binds them to the conference for six years.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Current dependence on rare earth elements or precious metals often hinders the widespread adoption of electrolysis systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
-
Making every decision for your teenager hinders their ability to build independence.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Now, his family is suing the restaurant chain, as well as the manufacturer that supplied the raw ground beef kofta.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
In a chilling sequence, Dennis ties a garbage bag over Mallory’s head and drags her into the woods.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
The imbalance ties the hands of states trying to do what is fairest and allows states that don’t have commissions to change their maps and thus potentially their election outcomes.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This ruling sets a troubling precedent that undermines protections afforded to interstate commerce and impedes site remediation, as well as the safe and effective long-term management of these materials for customers in Michigan and throughout the country.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Supporters describe it as a first-of-its-kind provision that could reduce gun violence, but critics say such technology impedes on free expression.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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