straitjackets

variants also straightjackets
plural of straitjacket
as in handcuffs
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.

Related Words

Relevance

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 straitjackets Some plaintiffs allege they were restrained in straitjackets for as long as 16 hours. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjackets
Noun
  • According to the complaint, agents alleged the ID was fake and held him in handcuffs for more than an hour.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Adair, still in handcuffs, is then picked up from the wheelchair by several deputies and placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk in his cell, the KBI said.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If the defense plays high coverage to take the deep ball away, the Buckeyes can throw it short and move the chains.
    Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • While several supermarket chains and independent stores sell Scott & Jon’s pasta and seafood dishes, as of Sunday morning, Publix and Walmart were the major chains that announced on their websites they were hit by this recall.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Straitjackets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjackets. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on straitjackets

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!