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restraining

verb

present participle of restrain
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 There is no justification for physically restraining another person. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 The head of America's leading trade association for fashion has been placed on leave after he was captured on video physically restraining two animal rights protesters who disrupted a New York Fashion Week runway show Sunday. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 Council of Fashion Designers of America CEO Steven Kolb was recorded physically restraining animal rights activists who disrupted a Cos runway show. — Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2026 Video from Citizen App showed another person trying to keep the pit bull away and then a police officer restraining the dog with a snare pole, leading it away as first responders attended to the victim. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 Appropriately so, given the placid recent range and the clockwork mechanics of sector rotation and low-correlation restraining index-level volatility. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 This was the context for Justice Brewer’s remarks about Philip sober restraining Philip drunk. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 But Gorsuch also wrote that an individual conference, through its members’ voting, can adopt various rules restraining athletes’ potential compensation as conference members see fit. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026 But the legislation contains no provision restraining increases in state and institutional funding for athletics, said Amy Privette Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraining
  1. controlling
  2. arresting
  3. regulating
  4. seizing
  5. curbing
  6. grabbing
  7. containing
  8. apprehending
Verb
  • The docuseries depicts prosecutors' theory that Wendi's mother, Donna, was a dominating, controlling figure in their lives with strong opinions about her daughter's choices.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The time-of-possession disparity also played a big role in the loss, with the Cardinals controlling the ball roughly 15 minutes longer.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of controlling
Verb
  • The ruling requires federal immigration agents to consider the totality of the circumstances known to them before arresting someone without a warrant.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • San Francisco Police Department The following day, officers served warrants at homes on Executive Park Boulevard and Newhall Street, arresting 46-year-old Leander Pitts and 39-year-old Starr Lamare.
    — Kevin Ko, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of arresting
Verb
  • Across the country, local governments have taken a wide range of approaches to regulating data centers, said Dave Owen, a professor at UC Law San Francisco, specializing in environmental law.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Here’s what to know The Florida Board of Education approved rules regulating the use of artificial intelligence in Florida’s public schools, colleges and universities for students and teachers, education reporter Austin Horn reported.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of regulating
Verb
  • Last week, Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a lightning offensive against Yemeni government forces, seizing control of the country’s entire Red Sea coast, including the towns and islands around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The rebels raced down the country’s Red Sea coast more than a week ago, seizing the key port city of Mokha and islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.
    — Toqa Ezzidin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • And as of this week, certain Chinese exports now also face the threat of 100 percent tariffs due to the passage of legislation aimed at curbing Russia’s access to funding for its war on Ukraine.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Election officials insist the vote will be secure even as Trump escalates efforts to reshape how Americans cast ballots, from hunting for noncitizen voters to curbing mail voting through court fights.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of curbing
Verb
  • The helicopter crashed in a driveway between two warehouses, smashing into a pair of truck cargo containers while the news crew tried grabbing video footage of a serious collision involving a Metro bus that also left two people dead.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Schlereth, a former Pro Bowl guard, did not agree with the penalty in general, as Brewer was grabbing Raiders defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi’s jersey in the chest area.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • Staff at the meat department washed a trap containing raw chicken juice and skipped the sanitizing step.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Simon Peter Carman was arrested in June after the 17-year-old girl was reported missing in Pattaya City, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok, and a suitcase containing her body was found shortly after.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of containing
Verb
  • The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation initially contacted Roswell police and asked for assistance locating and apprehending Spruill.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • She’s tasked with apprehending The Puppet Master (Iemasa Kayumi), a hacker who appears to be tapping directly into these networked minds and altering memories.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of apprehending

Browse Nearby Words

restrainedly
restraining
restrains
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Cite this Entry

“Restraining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restraining. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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