straitjacket

variants also straightjacket
as in confinement
a jacket that has long arms which can be tied together behind someone's back and that is used to control the movement (as of a violent prisoner or patient) The magician struggled to free his arms from the straitjacket and escape from the tank of water he was submerged in.

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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 straitjacket As the rangers discovered, what is planned for today might become tomorrow's straitjacket. Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk. Nancy Froston, New York Times, 30 June 2025 But the movie never busts out of its tame, slightly cheeky straitjacket, and the smoothness of its execution can be a bit cozy at times. Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025 Cold War history has become a straitjacket constraining how Americans perceive the world. Justin Winokur, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • Leon’s bond conditions include home confinement and electronic monitoring.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
  • These petitions challenge a detention by law enforcement, requiring the government to justify a person’s confinement.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This past July, the conservative advocacy group America First Legal requested a federal investigation of the chain due to its alleged discrimination against white employees.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The death sets off a chain of events that forces Lilian to revisit her fractured family life and complicated bond with her ex-husband.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The man, whom the magazine did not identify citing privacy concerns, cut his shin on a bait fish trap on a pier in an inlet that leads to the bay.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Her latest project, monitoring 50 camera traps in the understudied Atascosa highlands region in southern Arizona resulted in a remarkable discovery.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The stand collar provides extra protection for the neck, while zippered hand pockets are ideal for keeping your hands warm.
    Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Whether its a bad case of bedhead, friction from a hood or collar, or a complete surprise attack, just about everyone has dealt with hair matting.
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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