1
as in chain
something that physically prevents free movement
placed shackles on the legs of the prisoners
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in embarrassment
shackles plural
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the shackles of illiteracy can be just as confining as leg irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hinder
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
shackled by poverty and ignorance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shackle
Steve Karnowski, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
He was kept in ‘shackles and handcuffs’ for sixteen hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
At one point, security agents brought in the body of a dead man with his hands shackled in front of his body.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shackle
Noun
He was kept in shackles and handcuffs for 16 hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
He was kept in ‘shackles and handcuffs’ for sixteen hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Three men, hooded and shackled, were herded onto the stage.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
At one point, security agents brought in the body of a dead man with his hands shackled in front of his body.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackle
Noun
-
Food and drink Though many larger chain hotels often defer to European cuisine to be indicative of high culture, SEA wisely does the opposite.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
-
This includes key chokepoints like the Miyako Strait, Tokara Strait, and the Okinawa island chain.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The possible embarrassment of bleeding through the uniforms was a common distraction while competing, said Calabrese, who is the company’s chief marketing officer.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Although the heat has everyone dealing with some degree of dampness, sweating is often a source of violent embarrassment for you.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They were bound to drop the bola at some point.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Plus, because Dimorphos is gravitationally bound to Didymos, the DART impact could not inadvertently knock it towards Earth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump urged Democrats to reopen DHS because the partial shutdown hinders the government’s ability to combat terrorists.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
-
In fairness, the Jayhawks’ offense and overall explosiveness may have been hindered by the Big 12’s glass court, with players and coaches from many teams complaining about the footing throughout the event.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The star of the activity is, of course, a DIY charm bracelet station.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Best for kids ages 3 and up, the kit includes four bracelets to decorate and lots of swappable resin stickers, perfect for siblings or cousins to craft together.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At full height, the ship has an air draft of about 328 feet, but the tilting system enables the masts to lower when necessary, allowing the vessel to pass beneath bridges or other obstacles along its route, The Maritime Executive writes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The war is constraining oil exports and prompting major producers like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq to scale back output as shipments face growing obstacles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Teruaki Sato hit a game-tying RBI double before Shota Morishita, who entered the game as an injury replacement for Seiya Suziki, belted a three-run home run to give Japan a 5-2 lead.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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During an interview on the 2026 SAG Actor Awards red carpet, Law Roach—Zendaya’s longtime image architect—suggested to a reporter that Zendaya and Tom Holland had tied the knot.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oil prices have spiked above $100 per barrel amid Iranian threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and declarations of force majeure by both Kuwait and Bahrain, who argue events beyond their control have impeded their ability to deliver petroleum.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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The indictment includes the conspiracy count, which carries a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison, as well as several other counts of forcibly impeding a federal officer, each punishable by up to one year in federal prison.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackle. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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