shackles 1 of 2

noun

plural of shackle
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult the shackles of illiteracy can be just as confining as leg irons

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shackles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shackle
1
as in binds
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house

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2
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of shackled by poverty and ignorance

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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 shackles
Noun
Carrasco smiled as he was walked out of the 49th Precinct Thursday afternoon with shackles on his legs and arms. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Simpson appeared in court wearing shackles and a jail jumpsuit. — Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026 The agent couldn’t figure out how to fit the ankle shackles over Sanchez-Corona’s work boots. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026 Daikel Dumont Rodriguez, on a call this week from Krome North Service Processing Center, said that he was left in the box in shackles for about six hours after protesting a man being beaten by guards. — Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 He’s sentenced to hard time in a rural work camp, breaking rocks in the hot sun — a chain gang minus the shackles. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026 The Tate brothers’ years of legal trouble At their first public appearance in weeks, the Tate brothers entered a courtroom on August 27 in shackles and matching tan jail jumpsuits, surrounded by four US marshals. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Corie Walsh, 40, appeared in Will County Court in Joliet, Illinois, in handcuffs and shackles. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026 The lawsuit alleges that county policy requires jail inmates to be restrained in handcuffs, waist chains and leg shackles while being transported. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackles
  1. obstacle
  2. binds
  3. hampers
  4. hurdle
  5. chains
  6. hinders
  7. obstruction
  8. ties
Noun
  • Galarza said misconceptions about electric stoves are the largest obstacle to broader use.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Read More Roborock’s Saros 20 stands out for its ability to climb tall thresholds, avoid obstacles with impressive accuracy, and clean under low furniture thanks to its slim design.
    — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Because microorganisms in water turn regular mercury into methylmercury, a toxic chemical form that binds tightly to fish tissue, the heavy metal accumulates to higher levels in aquatic animals.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Model Context Protocol’s authorization specification binds an access token to the server it was issued for and requires servers to reject tokens that were not.
    — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of binds
Verb
  • This lushness is truly remarkable on an island known for its volcanic soil, which traditionally hampers plant growth.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This hampers several of my favorite performances, especially Harper, whose Ben is full of sarcastic indignation, and June Laporte as Ginny, an aspiring reporter in need of proper mentoring.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hampers
Noun
  • Credentials, required in 85 percent of growing jobs, are the most common hurdle workers must overcome.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Legal hurdles Ortiz was brought to the country at 9 months old without legal status.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurdle
Verb
  • Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.
    — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of chains
Verb
  • Brazil’s internal fragmentation hinders international cooperation, too.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Being polished hinders the chance for an honest dialogue as the moon agitates Chiron.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of hinders
Noun
  • He was sentenced to concurrent life terms in federal prison on six charges, nearly 12 years on a firearm conspiracy charge and 10 years on an obstruction of justice charge.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Where Montoya lived Montoya faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, possession of false immigration documents, use of false immigration documents and obstruction of agency proceedings.
    — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of obstruction
Verb
  • But that also ties some kids’ savings to a single company’s fortunes.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • If the amount of money provided by the state to school districts decreases because some children leave for private school, the legislature can adjust the Blueprint funding formula that ties funding to the number of students who attend a school.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ties

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shackles
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Cite this Entry

“Shackles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackles. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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