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 With Sanders in front, still restraining the alligator with the catch pole, Pelosi came up behind it and tossed a rag over its eyes, the video showed. —

Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026 The system generated $189 million in revenue last year and over $2 billion total since the sale, according to a recent audit, all while severely restraining the city’s ability to make major road changes that remove parking spots and as parking costs rise. —

Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 The outlet also reported that former employee Kelsi Carlisle, who is accused of pulling a child by the arm and pushing them face-down on a mat while restraining them with her body weight, faces two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. —

Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraining

Verb

Different wines are intended to be stored over different time periods—some are meant to be consumed within months of bottling, while others may spend decades in a cellar—and controlling oxygen exposure is critical to preserving flavor and aroma.

— Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 19 June 2026
While scientists have been able to detect and study these emitters, controlling them has remained a major challenge.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026