1
as in to regulate
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
the victim's family members were unable to restrain their emotions upon hearing the verdict
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
the suspect was restrained and taken to an undisclosed location
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 restrain
Richard drove Kara to his apartment, stopping along the way to restrain her with handcuffs and place a gag in her mouth.
—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
He was apprehended by military police after being restrained and disarmed by fellow soldiers.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Microsoft restricted large language model access for employees and canceled Claude Code licenses to restrain costs, according to Forbes .
—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
Al-Shaair learned how to restrain himself in practice.
—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrain
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
He was apprehended by military police after being restrained and disarmed by fellow soldiers.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Microsoft restricted large language model access for employees and canceled Claude Code licenses to restrain costs, according to Forbes .
—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
Al-Shaair learned how to restrain himself in practice.
—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrain
Verb
-
State lawmakers have stepped back from earlier, wider-ranging attempts to regulate AI that were vetoed or otherwise derailed by governors who viewed the measures as too onerous toward the industry’s development, including efforts to hold developers accountable for bias in AI systems.
-
The candidates in the crowded field have traded barbs about Bores’ supposed ties to Big Tech and outside groups have poured millions into the race both supporting and opposing his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence.
Verb
-
The suspects arrested allegedly planned to target senior government officials with small, armed drones; no devices were launched.
-
Police later caught up to Shockley at his father’s home in New Jersey, and he was arrested and convicted of murder.
Verb
-
France has largely dominated, controlling 68% of possession and creating a whopping seven shots on goal.
-
Doing your nails at home gives you control over how aggressively the nail plate is filed and how gel is removed, which can lower the risk of long-term damage.
Verb
-
Hilton, running on a platform of affordability and lowering taxes, has seized on the sentiment, casting health coverage for immigrants without legal status as deeply unfair and a direct threat to the state’s ability to help citizens.
-
So far this year, 17 tons of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, have been seized in the Pacific region – more than three times the total across the whole of last year, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Verb
-
Firefighters, meanwhile, quickly contained the blaze to a 10-by-10-foot area.
-
Each kit contains five breakfasts and five lunches.
Verb
-
There is an art to cutting a cantaloupe, which starts long before grabbing the knife and cutting board.
-
Schmidt can be forgiven for making this headline-grabbing prediction.
Verb
-
New laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut and Illinois seek to curb AI bias, rein in ‘robo bosses’ and protect children from opaque, emotionally manipulative chatbots.
-
Unanimously approved Tuesday, the ban is the latest measure taken in the past two years to curb what’s become a growing safety issue in the affluent East Bay town of about 43,000 residents.
Verb
-
As law enforcement officials arrived and surrounded the library, Sayer attempted to run out the back of the building but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody.
-
Earlier this year, two Serve Robotics machines were spotted blundering into the middle of a police incident while cops apprehended a man who appeared to be having a mental health crisis.
Cite this Entry
“Restrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrain. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
