as in muted
not excessively showy
a restrained but elegant black purse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in controlled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrested
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
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Recent Examples of restrained
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 25 May 2026
Conditions varied, but some asylums gained reputations as brutal, overcrowded warehouses where patients were neglected and restrained.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Temperance would have restrained overconfidence and urgency.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrained
Adjective
Implementing a restrained and tonal palette allows the intersecting lines to feel soft rather than busy.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 25 May 2026
Conditions varied, but some asylums gained reputations as brutal, overcrowded warehouses where patients were neglected and restrained.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
Verb
Additional deputies responded and restrained the inmate without further incident.
—Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Temperance would have restrained overconfidence and urgency.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrained
Adjective
-
Other makeup elements, provided by artist Alex Babsky, included bold brows and lined eyes with a muted rosy lip.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
Being in place at moonrise is important because seeing a muted orange moon rising over a landscape is a far more special sight than a big, bright orb high up in a black sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The paint is deftly mottled but its handling lacks the prowess of her later work (see, for example, Being Beamed, 1984, a fantasia of extraterrestrial teleportation in which the watercolor is sumptuous but perfectly controlled).—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
One interested investor was a major Iranian telecom company owned in part, through layers of subsidiaries, by Setad-e Ejrayi, a bonyad controlled by Khamenei.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Oppenheimer, 35 of Cambridge, was arrested in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
At least 45 people were arrested in Paris on Saturday after celebrations over Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory descended into chaos, with fires set, businesses vandalized and crowds clashing with police.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
After years dominated by the reliable little black dress and subdued minimalism, wedding guest attire is swinging loudly in the opposite direction.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
But the mood in the room at Citi’s Tribeca headquarters was more subdued than expected.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Although each has invested in compliance tooling, their architectures are fundamentally optimized for scale and accessibility, not for the verifiable operational independence that regulated enterprises require.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The chemical behind the explosion — ammonium nitrate — is not regulated under RMP.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Liliana Escobar made sure the Lions seized it.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
During the search, police said investigators allegedly seized 30 grams worth of fentanyl pills, 12 grams of crack cocaine, several digital scales, a BB gun, and two 9mm rounds of ammunition.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is quiet luxury in hotel form.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The tank contained sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate, officials have said.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
Blaine and the others have discovered the Fountain of Youth, contained within the blood of an entity named Mother (Nancy Daly).—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Restrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrained. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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