manacle 1 of 2

manacle

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb manacle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of manacle are clog, fetter, hamper, shackle, and trammel. While all these words mean "to hinder or impede in moving, progressing, or acting," shackle and manacle are stronger than fetter and suggest total loss of freedom.

a mind shackled by stubborn prejudice
a people manacled by tyranny

When might clog be a better fit than manacle?

Although the words clog and manacle have much in common, clog usually implies a slowing by something extraneous or encumbering.

a court system clogged by frivolous suits

When would fetter be a good substitute for manacle?

The words fetter and manacle can be used in similar contexts, but fetter suggests a restraining so severe that freedom to move or progress is almost lost.

a nation fettered by an antiquated class system

When is it sensible to use hamper instead of manacle?

The synonyms hamper and manacle are sometimes interchangeable, but hamper may imply the effect of any impeding or restraining influence.

hampered the investigation by refusing to cooperate

When can trammel be used instead of manacle?

The words trammel and manacle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, trammel suggests entangling by or confining within a net.

rules that trammel the artist's creativity

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 manacle
Noun
Beneath it, on the left side of the page, was a picture of Jackson in manacles. Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 29 June 2024 During the trial, Wilber wore a manacle around his ankle and a stun belt on his arm. Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2022 Brown turned Milwaukee’s defense from manacle to meme. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2022 How to Be an Antiracist is a journal of Kendi's efforts to free himself of the ideological manacles clamped upon him by a society suffused with white supremacism, capitalist exploitation, misogyny and the repression of unconventional sexuality. Dallas News, 26 Aug. 2019 From every officer’s belt there dangled an insectlike furl of disposable plastic manacles. Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019 The genie is literally the slave of the lamp, his power bracelets actually manacles keeping him obedient to an endless round of masters. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 12 June 2019 The cellar dungeons were complete with bolts, chains and manacles for securing captives to the floors. Jonathan W. White, Smithsonian, 27 Feb. 2018
Verb
Once the detainees were on board, agents brought in a van with dozens of women, also manacled, to board next. Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025 Drugged, kidnapped, and manacled while a pitiless killer wears her face. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 July 2024 Rubio hammered home his argument that there’s no daylight between Cuba’s lack of justice and Trump’s own trial, with a video featuring a military official manacled and brought before a crowd of more than 15,000 in the Havana Sports Palace arena. Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2024 The scandal is that, instead of doing his duty, the attorney general manacled his own Justice Department’s investigation. The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2023 His hands were manacled to a chain belt at his waist, and his feet were bound by leg irons. Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 4 Dec. 2019 During those endless days and nights, everything was done to break his will: solitary confinement, pressure to confess by cruel supervisors and the humiliation of being manacled while receiving medical attention. Ariel Dorfman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2018 They are filmed in lingering close-up as the opening credits roll, a montage of them manacling the wrists, ankles, necks, and dreams of African American men. Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2018 Early practitioners in literary study, the history of language, and anthropology were often ideologically manacled by the cultural mores that encased their object of study. Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 25 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manacle
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
Noun
  • But formidable obstacles remain in the way of a durable peace in Gaza, where a ceasefire collapsed in March after nearly two months of relative calm when Israel unleashed a barrage of airstrikes.
    Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • But even with these obstacles, oddsmakers seem to believe the Bucs have plot armor.
    J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At the very least, a major influx of new cast members are bound to shake up the series third season, which will pick after the dramatic killing of a beloved character, the arrest of another, and the breakup between two more.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The families remain close, bound by the boating tragedy.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 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
  • With injuries and inconsistency hampering the wide receiver corps, the Commanders are set to host former Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick Treylon Burks.
    Josh Buckhalter, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Around the time of the 2022 bond referendum, then-City Manager Bruce Moore said the thought was to build the new court facility on the site of the old police headquarters, located just a short distance away on Markham Street, once the headquarters was demolished.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Gill's defense attorney asked instead for a cash bond or split bond, which would allow some of the money paid to be used toward future fines or fees.
    Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The new method could allow the scientific community to overcome one of the key hurdles associated with fusion energy – maintaining plasma stability.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Staffing costs and availability are chief among the reasons, the organization adds, both because skilled individuals can’t be sourced in rural areas and because the traditional long hours and on-call schedules poses further hurdles for recruitment.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The beloved couple of Ruzek and Burgess — known as Burzek — tied the knot in the season 12 finale.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In the bottom of the seventh inning, with runners on second and third with nobody out, George Springer stepped to the plate with the chance to tie a 3-1 ball game in favor of the Seattle Mariners, a team desperate for its first-ever World Series appearance in franchise history.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Food crumbs and debris can hinder gas flow or cause uneven burning.
    Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Can what’s hindering the Chargers’ defense be fixed in only a matter of days?
    Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manacle. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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