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
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Recent Examples of shackles
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Upon arrival, the deportees had shackles removed from their wrists and ankles and one at a time descended the stairway of the chartered 767 aircraft to be reprocessed by waiting Cuban immigration and health officials.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
After finishing that section, players could remove their blindfold and then complete a puzzle which gave a key that unlocked their shackles.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Meanwhile, Isaac-Slurp has Pugsley in shackles, relishing the role reversal of master and pet.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Upon arrival, the deportees had shackles removed from their wrists and ankles and one at a time descended the stairway of the chartered 767 aircraft to be reprocessed by waiting Cuban immigration and health officials.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
After finishing that section, players could remove their blindfold and then complete a puzzle which gave a key that unlocked their shackles.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackles
Noun
-
The difficulty in getting rid of players other than those whose contracts expired this summer (Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez and Jesus Vallejo) was a significant obstacle.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
To overcome this obstacle, the MIT team employed lithium-6 atoms, a rare isotope whose resonance frequency shifts depending on temperature.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What binds them together is their adherence to these six commitments.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Sep. 2025
-
That unspoken bond is precious, and what binds a lot of community together.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even if the discharge petition is successful, the underlying bill would have to clear many more hurdles.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Reports have also pointed to practical hurdles for Optimus, including production bottlenecks, hand dexterity issues, and leadership turnover on the program.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This innovative platform, which researchers are exploring for applications ranging from flu to cancer to AIDS, poses a threat to global defenses against future crises and hinders progress in biomedical innovation.—
Bernadette Boden Albala,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Bonner hamstring injury further hinders this crew.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Wind giant Ørsted sues White House Energy giant Ørsted and two US states sued the White House over its obstruction of a near-complete offshore wind farm, part of the administration’s move away from renewables.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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O'Dell pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson, damage to religious property and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The plan also ties Musk's compensation to the mass production of autonomous robotaxis and humanoid robots, technologies Tesla believes could redefine both transportation and labor.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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Pete escapes into the snowy woods, but Lambert tracks him down and ties him up.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The university has also cracked down on chalking on campus sidewalks, which critics say impedes the free speech rights of students.—
Chris Quintana,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Let go of whatever impedes your growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shackles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackles. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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