SHACKLING Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

shackling

verb

present participle of shackle

as in binding

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hampering

to create difficulty for the work or activity of shackled by poverty and ignorance

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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 shackling Khushboo Gupta, vice president of policy at PETA India, said the aesthetic appeal of live elephants doesn’t justify shackling, beating and separating them from their families. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 In 2019, David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children at their home in California, starving them and providing only a minimal education. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families. — Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026 Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026 In Wisconsin, a bill that would restrict shackling inmates while in labor — something most states already ban — has repeatedly failed to pass the state Legislature. — Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackling

Verb

One blocks the receptor binding protein, which the virus uses to attach to human cells.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Signed in May 2025, the preliminary agreement was extended three times — in September, December and April — without ever becoming a binding deal.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026

Definition of binding

Verb

Because the injection must then be sent (or pushed) to each specific target, the scale of the attack is limited, hampering mass exploits that hit the Internet at large.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Authorities divided the area into zones as rescue crews, including disaster response teams and sniffer dogs, searched the region for missing despite heavy rain hampering operations, Devamanohar, a local police official, told reporters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

The last-place Angels have lost seven consecutive games, tying their longest losing streak of the season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Ogwumike will make her 11th All-Star appearance, tying three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi for second most in WNBA history.

— Annie Costabile, New York Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of tying

Verb

These vehicles were blocking and impeding fire operations, and several were non-operational and required tow truck assistance for removal.

— Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Florida’s sanctuary city laws forbid local governments from impeding ICE from doing its job, such as by not sharing information with the federal government.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

And yet the situation has the potential of becoming a bigger distraction and handcuffing Yzerman from building the roster further.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
The police then appear to grab hold off the councilmember, pushing him to the ground and handcuffing him.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026

Definition of handcuffing

Verb

He was charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence in connection with this case.

— Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 2 July 2026
This raises concerns as companies reduce entry-level hiring, hindering the development of crucial tacit knowledge.

— Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Plants are also unbothered by confining pavement and other urban challenges.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
The requirement to add wheels increases costs and can limit where these homes are allowed, due to zoning restrictions, often confining them to mobile home parks.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Definition of confining

Verb

Dugan's case marked the first time that a state judge in Wisconsin went to trial on charges of obstructing immigration agents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Dugan’s case was a first for Wisconsin Dugan’s case marked the first time that a state judge in Wisconsin went to trial on charges of obstructing immigration agents.

— Claire Savage, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of obstructing

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shackles

shackling

shacks

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“Shackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackling. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shackling

verb

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