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pinion

verb

Definition of pinionnext
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains Joan of Arc was pinioned to a stake and burned as a heretic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pinion To be clear, there is no sense that Rondón and Ugás are defending the old guard or suggesting that a docile, starving population pinioned under the grip of a dictatorship is big-picture preferable to a rebellious insurgency. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025 Haas thus theorized that the victim had been pinioned by both heels to the front of the upright beam either with their legs splayed open, frog-like, or with their knees bent and turned to one side. — Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinion
  1. bind
  2. tie
  3. chain
  4. shackle
  5. lash
  6. fetter
Verb
  • This process can be even more pronounced in smaller galaxies in which the gravitational influence is weaker, and the black holes are less likely to be strongly bound to the galactic center.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Offering max-level cushioning without the bulk, these sneakers are easy to pair with plenty of pieces in your travel wardrobe and add a dose of personality that’s bound to draw compliments.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bind
Verb
  • Nearly all members of Florida’s Legislature voted to put the amendment on the ballot, though some Democrats expressed concern about tying the state’s hands by restricting the chunk of money.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That man stayed ready throughout, and was always in his suit and tie and took it very seriously—but also kept some levity in the back of it.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of tie
Verb
  • Our favorite animals who became celebrities A scary incident on April 26, 1941, however, led the zoo to chain him to a wall inside the Pachyderm House for 29 years.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Democrats wrote in a summary of the allegations that immigrants sleep while restrained with handcuffs, leg irons and belly chains, and even elderly people have been chained for 16 hours a day.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of chain
Verb
  • All of the deportees were shackled at the ankles and wrists while in the air.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The whistleblower claims also allege that officers were told to shackle people around the clock at one point to address a lack of staffing.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of shackle
Verb
  • The worst of the deadly nor'easter that's lashed the Northeast is behind us, and Monday will feature minor impacts as the storm winds down.
    — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin lashed out at Judge Judy’s remarks about unhappy Americans.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Perhaps capitalism can be appropriately fettered within the confines of a select few cities, inspiring a nonviolent, nationwide socialist revolution.
    — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
  • While some players were able to weather that storm – defenseman Joel Edmundson played all 82 games for the first time in a career often fettered by injuries – others paid a price.
    — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of fetter

Browse Nearby Words

pining (for)
pinion
pinioned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinion. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pinion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pinion

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