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 But beyond the frenzied mix of hormones and alcohol is an intense curiosity in the outside world, one that noisily landed three weeks ago on the doorsteps of Russians, unfiltered and free from the manacles of politics. Amie Ferris-Rotman, Washington Post, 9 July 2018 The cellar dungeons were complete with bolts, chains and manacles for securing captives to the floors. Jonathan W. White, Smithsonian, 27 Feb. 2018
Verb
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 Although the new territory bolstered his neo-Soviet reclamation project, retaliatory sanctions from the West manacled the Russian economy. Jack Dickey, SI.com, 10 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manacle
Noun
  • Rabbi Anne wears a keepsake from her grandfather — a metal thimble that dangles from a silver chain around her neck.
    Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The broken bangle was remade into something else entirely: a smooth, curved jade pendant attached to a 22-karat gold chain.
    Sadiya Ansari Spandita Malik, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Arches is designed for all-around off-roading, while the Cliffhanger is geared toward slow, technical obstacles.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • However, the obstacle avoidance technology included in the X10 Pro Omni has a 3D MatrixEye.
    Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Caffeine boosts energy by blocking a neurotransmitter, called adenosine, from binding to receptors in the brain.
    Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2025
  • And even when schools have large endowments, the individual funds that compose them are bound by a wide array of restrictions.
    Todd L. Ely, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The dissatisfaction simmered for years, hampering efforts to combine the automakers fully.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Other financial firms, such as broker-dealers, earn commissions from selling stocks, bonds, or mutual funds and need only provide suitable advice.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Preliminary data released by Japan’s finance ministry and parsed by Moody’s Analytics suggests that Japanese investors sold some foreign bonds, likely Treasuries, but not at a scale that would be large enough to explain the yield spike, the analytics firm wrote in a note.
    Lisa Kailai Han,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • These financial hurdles can lead to the perception that technology adoption simply isn’t worth it.
    James Lindsey, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Despite these hurdles, experts agree that digital twins represent the future of sports.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • After a stunning Game 1 blowout followed by a defensive struggle out of the 1990s, the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series will relocate to the Twin Cities, tied 1-1.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
  • In the past three league games, Miami won 1-0 against Columbus, tied Chicago 0-0 and tied Toronto 1-1.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Leaders worldwide are promoting minimal AI regulation to drive innovation and avoid hindering growth.
    Art Gilliland, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Being smart with money now, as well as brand building, is crucial to making sure your on-the-field duties are not hindered.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manacle. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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