RESTRAINING Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

restraining

verb

present participle of restrain

as in controlling

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

as in arresting

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 restraining Trump’s interest in antitrust enforcement predictably has little to do with restraining corporate power and is largely consumed with leveraging regulatory threats to compel firms to support his political agenda. —

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026 Two men were sentenced to years in prison after pleading guilty to felony second-degree kidnapping for luring a man to the Eagle Foothills on an offer of a photography shoot, but then tasing, restraining and beating him last fall. —

Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 22 May 2026 Beyond that, in a TVLine interview, Kripke addressed the criticism that Marie Moreau, the blood-bending supe who can do everything from restraining supes to exploding them to literally raising the dead, was being portrayed as someone who could not take on Homelander. —

Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 Today, oil and shipping reporter Weilun Soon says the mayhem in the Persian Gulf doesn’t bode well for both ending the war and restraining crude prices. —

Weilun Soon, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026 The security team and members of the church assisted the guard in restraining Mbwavi. —

Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026 In the rush by corporations to monetize AI investment by increasing efficiency and reducing workforce costs, restraining a surge of AI takeovers is a concern. —

Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026 Keller police have charged a Shady Grove Elementary special education teacher with unlawfully restraining a 4‑year‑old student after investigators corroborated a parent's report with statements from school staff. —

Doug Myers, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 On Sunday, a video appearing to show immigration agents restraining a crying woman in front of her child at San Francisco International Airport circulated on social media platforms. —

Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraining

Verb

And there’s a chance the Giants vote against Sacramento as an expansion site because the Giants want to continue controlling the market.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
As with minimizing soil disturbance, this, too, helps tremendously with controlling erosion, increasing the carbon content of soil and conserving moisture.

— Special to The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026