SHACKLED Synonyms: 135 Similar and Opposite Words

shackled 1 of 2

adjective

as in bolted

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

shackled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of shackle

as in bound

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

as in hampered

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 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 shackled

Verb

The airline’s flights have grown longer and crueler in recent years, with deportees sometimes shackled for days, according to an investigation by Mother Jones. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 Carlos Sanchez, the Colombia midfielder, shadowed and successfully shackled Messi in a 2011 Copa America game that finished goalless. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026 On Thursday, he was dressed in a jacket and tie with one arm shackled to his waist. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 In the 1700s, when West Africans were shackled and shipped to the South Carolina–Georgia seaboard, some were forced to work in rice paddies, in cotton fields, and on indigo plantations, where the moist climate resembled that of their homelands. — Jeanne Malle, Air Mail, 4 July 2026 Tokyo would still be shackled with the biggest public debt burden anywhere — as much as 260% of GDP — as the population shrinks. — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Mangione wore khaki-colored prison clothing and was not shackled at Monday’s brief proceeding, which lasted about 20 minutes. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026 Mangione, who is facing two counts of stalking in the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, remained shackled at both his hands and feet while building engineers worked to free him from the elevator. — Adam Reiss, NBC news, 29 June 2026 He is shackled by the feet and handcuffed. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackled

Adjective

Unlike standard wheels, which rely solely on air pressure to push the tire against the rim, beadlocks use a bolted outer ring to physically sandwich the tire in place.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 June 2026

Definition of bolted

Verb

The pilot started in a smaller downtown area the following year before it was expanded it earlier this year to span an area bounded by Irving Park Road to the north, 26th Street to the south and Ashland Avenue to the west.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Down 2-0 entering the ninth inning against the New York Mets, the Red Sox bounded back to tie the score and win 3-2 in extra innings, their impressive midseason run stretching their current win streak to nine games to close out the first half.

— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of bound

Verb

But even use of that system is being hampered because state officials haven’t been trained in how to enter cyclosporiasis cases yet.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
The search was hampered by the fact that Horan’s gravestone, like many at Blake Street, had eroded to the point that it could no longer be identified.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026

Definition of hampered

Verb

Instead, the Tates were handcuffed outside the venue as British authorities seek their extradition, according to multiple media reports.

— Staff report, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Police said the man continued to resist being handcuffed by burying his left arm under his body, so one of the officers struck him on the side of his body, which is when video of the incident that were sent to the Statesman began.

— Alex Brizee July 17, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026

Definition of handcuffed

Verb

Technological precision impeded the potential of inspiring victories from the likes of Iran, Croatia, and Egypt.

— Sean Gregory, Time, 20 July 2026
The result is a meditative action movie both immense and intimate, albeit one whose flow is impeded by the inherently episodic nature of the nonlinear source material and some questionable casting choices.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Definition of impeded

Verb

The company said advanced cyber-capable models could ultimately become useful defensive tools, helping security teams identify vulnerabilities, understand how individual weaknesses can be chained together and respond to attacks faster.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
Though Felipe was originally chained inside a hole in the woods, he was moved to Esmeralda Farm out of caution that he might be found.

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Definition of chained

Browse Nearby Words

shackle

shackled

shackles

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shackled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackled. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shackled

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on shackled

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

itinerant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes