1
as in regulates
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
2
as in seizes
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 restrains
An 1878 law known as the Posse Comitatus Act generally restrains the use of the military for such purposes.
—
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
In the footage, a Border Patrol agent is shown holding one man with his forearm across a man’s neck – and later, an FHP officer restrains the man who is tased, grabbing him around the neck area while the man is doubled down.
—Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
That line of reasoning is intended to assert that NASCAR promotes, not restrains, competition in the marketplace and has created a product very popular with fans, sponsors and TV networks.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
In the footage, a Border Patrol agent is shown holding one man with his forearm across a man’s neck – and later, an FHP officer restrains the man who is tased, grabbing him around the neck area while the man is doubled down.
—Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
That line of reasoning is intended to assert that NASCAR promotes, not restrains, competition in the marketplace and has created a product very popular with fans, sponsors and TV networks.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrains
Verb
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By using pollen to reflect more of the energy, the camellia microgel regulates skin temperature, keeping it about 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler for around 20 minutes.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Sep. 2025
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Schultz, a medical doctor, has helped run the agency that regulates the county’s emergency medical care system for about six years.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When Day succumbs to his wounds, Dusk seizes the vacuum, claiming Hari Seldon’s psychohistory crystal.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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By the time Megan seizes control of the reins at the film’s close, the abrupt denouement feels jarringly disconnected rather than organic to the storytelling.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The First 70 Years contains impeccable research and analysis, accompanied by fascinating photos of the sets, film crews, and casts.—
Michael Taube,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The system contains unverified reports of side effects, including from patients, doctors and pharmacists.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the feeling when a film grabs hold remains the same—by a story, a character, a voice—that, never goes out of season.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
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The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The strategy keeps more resources available in the short term than if the buyer had paid for the home in full up front.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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The elevated surface also keeps your pet off the ground, which can be ideal for keeping them clean while outside.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Suppose the number is read in one case out of a hundred, and that the information reaches someone who apprehends the culprit in one case out of one thousand.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Uniquely, Google controls both its hardware and software, unlike all other Android OEMs including Samsung, the largest of them all.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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History is also on their side because the party that controls the White House has nearly always lost House seats in the midterm elections going back to 1938.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Pinault family owns 42 percent of shares in Kering and detains 59 percent of voting rights.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
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The play is set in the real-life town of Lumpkin, whose economy has become reliant on a private prison that detains immigrants.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restrains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrains. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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