1
as in binding
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampering
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 shackling
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
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
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One blocks the receptor binding protein, which the virus uses to attach to human cells.
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Signed in May 2025, the preliminary agreement was extended three times — in September, December and April — without ever becoming a binding deal.
Verb
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Critics argue that the approach risks hampering Europe’s competitiveness.
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The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations at the court.
Verb
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As Dubner himself acknowledged in the anniversary foreword, the original book was written without a central thesis tying everything together.
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In an exclusive clip shared with PEOPLE, Risico says Wilder, who had already killed multiple women, electrically shocked different parts of her body after tying her up in a motel room.
Verb
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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.
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Fifteen people, most of them Minnesotans, were arrested and charged last week, accused of impeding Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Verb
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The police then appear to grab hold off the councilmember, pushing him to the ground and handcuffing him.
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The decree requires law enforcement to meet specific goals before federal oversight is removed, including changes to the use of force policy, limiting military-style tactics during protests and banning handcuffing children under 14.
Verb
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This raises concerns as companies reduce entry-level hiring, hindering the development of crucial tacit knowledge.
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Over the decades the O’odham placed some barbed wire along the border to keep livestock from straying into the neighboring country, limiting the spread of maladies such as foot-and-mouth disease and hindering cattle thieves.
Verb
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Plants are also unbothered by confining pavement and other urban challenges.
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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.
Verb
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Within Venezuela, activists have accused authorities of obstructing relief efforts.
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The passenger rail service said that eight cars and two locomotives derailed after striking the dump truck that was obstructing the crossing.
Cite this Entry
“Shackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackling. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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