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
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
Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
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
Investigators found that the shackles on Shane were removed so medical staff could perform an X-ray.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Free yourself from those stinking shackles!
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
He was kept in ‘shackles and handcuffs’ for sixteen hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
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
Investigators found that the shackles on Shane were removed so medical staff could perform an X-ray.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 20 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
-
Analysts say Kim's vilification of South Korea reflects his view that Seoul, which helped set up his first meetings with Trump, is no longer a useful intermediary with Washington but an obstacle to his effort to establish a more assertive regional footing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
This season has one of the greatest obstacles between the leads.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan A fleeting moment of passion in post–VE Day Ohio binds Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt, setting off a chain of secrets that spans generations.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The document binds none of them.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
23 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
-
An additional hurdle is that Mojtaba is not a high-ranking cleric and has no official role in the regime.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Building a functional intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the US would require overcoming substantial technical hurdles, such as producing a nuclear warhead and successfully miniaturizing it, Eliana Johns, a Federation of American Scientists senior research associate, said.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 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
-
Federal obstruction of unannounced congressional inspections combined with resistance to mandatory California health inspections reveals something deeper than bureaucratic friction.—
Dave Myers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Amnesty International Brazil said the case revealed police corruption, obstruction of justice and the operation of organized crime within the state apparatus.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His being from Houston ties us together.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Here’s the big idea that ties all of this together.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shackles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackles. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
