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
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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
Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Thursday, Thorsen was flown in handcuffs from Germany to Atlanta, also the home of CDC headquarters.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Pekara said that after metal handcuffs were removed so a CT scan could be conducted, Talley reached under a blanket and fatally shot Officer John Bartholomew in the face.
—Michael Tobin, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Guido Reichstadter was placed in handcuffs and taken away in an ambulance.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Pat hung his head and did not comment as he was escorted in handcuffs out of the 104th Precinct station house.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
In May 2020, sheriff’s deputy Aaron Russell, who was assigned to the Central Jail, shot and killed 36-year-old Nicholas Bils as Bils fled, unarmed, after slipping out of handcuffs just outside the facility.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
He was then taken away in handcuffs, the source said.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2026
The season ended with Julian and Senior in handcuffs as Matty and Olympia walked away from Jacobson Moore toward a future that appears to include their own law firm.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 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
Video from the scene early Wednesday morning showed FBI agents at the business, with one man coming out of the building with his hands up, and another was seen being questioned while wearing handcuffs.
—Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Thursday, Thorsen was flown in handcuffs from Germany to Atlanta, also the home of CDC headquarters.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Pekara said that after metal handcuffs were removed so a CT scan could be conducted, Talley reached under a blanket and fatally shot Officer John Bartholomew in the face.
—Michael Tobin, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Guido Reichstadter was placed in handcuffs and taken away in an ambulance.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Pat hung his head and did not comment as he was escorted in handcuffs out of the 104th Precinct station house.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
In May 2020, sheriff’s deputy Aaron Russell, who was assigned to the Central Jail, shot and killed 36-year-old Nicholas Bils as Bils fled, unarmed, after slipping out of handcuffs just outside the facility.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
He was then taken away in handcuffs, the source said.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2026
The season ended with Julian and Senior in handcuffs as Matty and Olympia walked away from Jacobson Moore toward a future that appears to include their own law firm.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 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
-
Yet with tropical countries approaching the year’s first planting season, prices for key commodity crops haven’t yet budged, putting farmers in a bind.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Years of ignoring improper payments while promoting more program enrollment at all costs have now put the Commonwealth’s taxpayers in a bind.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Romvari’s film binds together impressionistic recollections from Jeremy’s 8-year-old sister Sasha (Eylul Guven).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
-
Once converted into its active form, vitamin D binds to receptors in immune cells and supports the body in several ways, including enhancing the innate immune system, regulating and calming the adaptive immune system and reducing the risk of some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 May 2026
-
Electronics are susceptible to temperature changes, and any dust that blocks outward air vents or hampers fresh air flow into the machine can cause real damage.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 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
-
Vast terrain hinders search The immediate area in Stewart County where the search is currently contained is covered with big trees and steep hills, as well as snakes and ticks, according to the sheriff.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
-
The anti-caking coating that prevents cheese from sticking together also hinders cheese from blending or melting into other foods with ease.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two that are also components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average — McDonald's and Walt Disney Co — are the week's headliners, while restaurant chains, media companies and gig economy platforms will also have a big showing.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Protesters are demanding that the hardware store chain protect day laborers against future arrests and deportations after last year's uptick in immigration enforcement operations, some of which happened outside of Home Depot locations in Southern California.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That ties the 1992-93 Heat roster for the most on any opening night roster in franchise history.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
This directly ties to one of my top priorities, which is transparency.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The weir prohibits the flow of saltwater into the lagoon and impedes the draining of sediment from the lagoon into the ocean.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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