as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the shackles of illiteracy can be just as confining as leg irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
shackled by poverty and ignorance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shackles
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
The administration’s official social-media feeds pump out far-right xenophobic memes and celebrate deportations with ASMR videos of undocumented immigrants in shackles.
—Donald Moynihan, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Police said shackles that belonged to Meade, along with Mauney’s dogs, were found in the cabin.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
Varoff entered the courtroom wearing an orange jail inmate uniform with handcuffs on his wrists linked to shackles around his waist.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Now manumitted from the shackles of Musk leadership, Zelikman is imagining an AI beyond such chatbots as Grok.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
After the procedure was completed, the shackles were not reapplied, a lapse the sheriff's office said directly contributed to his escape.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
This is about shaking off the shackles of those one-size-fits-all limitations.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Free yourself from those stinking shackles!
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
At around eleven that night, wearing shackles around her wrists and ankles, she was put on a plane and flown to an immigration jail in Texas.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
The administration’s official social-media feeds pump out far-right xenophobic memes and celebrate deportations with ASMR videos of undocumented immigrants in shackles.
—Donald Moynihan, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Police said shackles that belonged to Meade, along with Mauney’s dogs, were found in the cabin.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
Varoff entered the courtroom wearing an orange jail inmate uniform with handcuffs on his wrists linked to shackles around his waist.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Now manumitted from the shackles of Musk leadership, Zelikman is imagining an AI beyond such chatbots as Grok.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
After the procedure was completed, the shackles were not reapplied, a lapse the sheriff's office said directly contributed to his escape.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
This is about shaking off the shackles of those one-size-fits-all limitations.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Free yourself from those stinking shackles!
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackles
Noun
-
In Waterfield’s view, the single biggest obstacle for genetic genealogy is the cost of lab work and rising upload fees associated with the DNA databases relied upon by investigators.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Anything that was anti-Jewish—a story about exclusion, an obstacle that hadn’t come down, a disapproving enumeration of supposedly Jewish traits—was possibly more fascinating.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But maybe in a film as deeply personal as this, in which grief is the glue that binds each scene together, there needn’t be an overarching theme or narrative beyond the desire for remembrance.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
These dimensions normally cohere in the speaker, which binds a person to their words.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Florida bills would do much of that work by forcing married and divorced women to navigate expensive bureaucratic hurdles to match their maiden and married names.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Had there been hurdles to that process before this latest round of negotiations happened?—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Afterward, Denver7 heard from Douglas County residents, including a Parker woman who feels the move hinders productive conversations around local issues and is merely a way for the commissioners to dodge criticism and accountability.—
thedenverchannel.com,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023, which hinders his ability to communicate.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its version, Satellite SOS, works similarly, and requires a clear view of the sky with as little obstruction as possible.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
-
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for each trade secret charge and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice, along with fines of up to $250,000 per count.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Operating the facility safely will require close to 100 staff members, which directly ties to the broader recruitment and retention challenges at the Sheriff’s Office.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Dark, moody walls make the natural-wood bench and light floors stand out; a charming white dome pendant light ties the space together.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shackles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackles. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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