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
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Recent Examples of restrained
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Rooms are furnished comfortably in the expected Southwestern decor, but avoid overdoing it thanks to restrained, contemporary hands.
—Asonta Benetti, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
The man sprayed her with an unknown substance before being restrained by on-site security.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrained
Adjective
Bryant is a restrained writer, and the fastidiousness of his elastic text does little to allay those who are likely to become inflamed.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Rooms are furnished comfortably in the expected Southwestern decor, but avoid overdoing it thanks to restrained, contemporary hands.
—Asonta Benetti, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Arriving on a rainy December evening, the Carlton initially struck me as notably restrained—almost to a fault.
—Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
The man sprayed her with an unknown substance before being restrained by on-site security.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for restrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrained
Adjective
-
After years of muted activity at the midseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas kickstarted a flurry of activity Tuesday — first cementing a three-team trade to acquire Jaden Ivey from Detroit, then offloading Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Recreate the look in a similar muted color scheme, like allover cloudy white, or play around with vivid color combinations like Miami teal and head-to-toe pinks.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Rafah crossing, a lifeline for Gaza, was the only one not controlled by Israel before the war.—
SAMY MAGDY,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Throughout the airborne maneuver, the robot remains controlled, absorbing impact on landing rather than collapsing, reports Techeblog.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Five days later, she was found alive – and authorities arrested a local suspect who was familiar with the family and her grandson’s construction company, abducting her to get $3 million ransom.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Days after federal agents arrested the Ecuadorian mother hiding under a trailer on a snowy Minneapolis street, White House border czar Tom Homan said 700 federal law enforcement personnel will be withdrawn from the state.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While the unit has benefited from a shift to digital game purchases and growth in the PlayStation Plus subscription service in recent quarters, hardware shipment growth has remained more subdued.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, after its deepest dip last spring, brand loyalty for Tesla has started to inch back up, possibly boosted by aggressive incentives and Musk’s more subdued persona, says S&P’s Libby.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For example, trade of African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) is strictly regulated.—
Eve Bohnett,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, fortification is voluntary and only regulated for safety and labeling accuracy.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On occasion, seized drugs earmarked for testing at a state laboratory never made it there, a source with knowledge of the subsequent investigation told CNN.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized power again in August 2021 as American and NATO troops were withdrawing after a 20-year war, of harboring militants and members of the Pakistani Taliban.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Frontcourt production would rely on the Brazile-Richmond-Pringle trio again, should Ewin have a second quiet performance in a row.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Meghan Markle forwent her usual quiet luxury style for Old Hollywood glamour in a custom Harbison Studio dress at the annual Fifteen Percent Pledge Fundraising Gala Honoring Tina Knowles on Saturday night in Los Angeles.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The best-selling book contained several bombshell revelations, many of which were related to Spears’ controversial conservatorship, which finally ended in 2021.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Fungi fossils preserved in the chert contained compounds from the breakdown of chitin and glucan, key structural molecules in fungi.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Restrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrained. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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