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manacles 1 of 2

noun

plural of manacle
as in irons
something that physically prevents free movement manacles prevented the bear from roaming beyond a very small area

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manacles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of manacle
1
as in binds
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains manacled the prisoner to the wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of in this situation, the police are manacled by unnecessary regulations

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 manacles
Noun
Speaking to Morgan during an interview released on YouTube on Tuesday, British national Yiannopoulos, 41, recounted how his hands and feet were chained together with manacles. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manacles
  1. bond
  2. binds
  3. hampers
  4. chain
  5. chains
  6. impedes
  7. constraint
  8. handcuffs
Noun
  • What is left is the bond of a group of women who survived this beautifully flawed universe together, who leave behind twenty-plus years of laughter, chaos, and guilty pleasures for millions of people.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But the council must still take steps before public funding can be used for the project, including approving the issuance of bonds to fund the $600 million package.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bond
Verb
  • There’s a whole literary multiverse that now binds many of his stories that didn’t exist at the time of Carrie.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That’s what binds all our projects together — moving past short-termism, which is a danger with AI.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of binds
Verb
  • This hampers several of my favorite performances, especially Harper, whose Ben is full of sarcastic indignation, and June Laporte as Ginny, an aspiring reporter in need of proper mentoring.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • That marks a 37% increase from the same time last year, as the Iran war hampers oil supply.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampers
Noun
  • This local chain is one of the most reliably affordable meals in the LA area that also happens to be consistently delicious.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • As a ubiquitous fixture across the country, the chain provides a familiar, predictable environment that makes millions of members feel instantly at home.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of chain
Verb
  • Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of chains
Verb
  • The sheriff said vehicles parked in a way that impedes traffic will be towed at the owner's expense.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Typically, PAs are putting in 60-hour workweeks, and their duties can include everything from running errands to cleaning up messes to managing the general public when filming takes place in a location and impedes foot or car traffic.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of impedes
Noun
  • More gets lost when implementation hits an unanticipated constraint.
    — Lorenzo Alvaro, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • They are being asked to increase speed and productivity while managing labor constraints, rising customer expectations, greater order complexity, and constant pressure to control costs.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of constraint
Verb
  • Federal agents were waiting on the tarmac to greet them, handcuffs at the ready.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The state government already handcuffs local municipalities with preemption laws.
    — Oliver Adams Larkin, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Definition of handcuffs

Browse Nearby Words

manacled
manacles
manacling
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Cite this Entry

“Manacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manacles. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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