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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 One man told her about a young immigrant from Bulgaria who’d been working here but had seemed to go crazy a few weeks earlier; the worker was removed from the plant in a straitjacket and later died. Daniel Stone, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025 The music video may cause initial backlash among those concerned about propagating mental health stigmas by featuring images of a person in a straitjacket. Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 10 Jan. 2025 Rope, leather, buckles, straitjackets, Lycra, latex, gas masks, ball gags. Jessica Furseth, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025 Neither immediately opened, yet the play was anything but over; Jackson, one of the league’s most elusive playmakers, has slipped a defense’s apparent straitjacket many times before on the way to becoming the NFL’s two-time Most Valuable Player. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • For its investigation, the California Justice Department staff worked with a team of correctional and healthcare experts to examine a range of conditions of confinement — including use of force, discipline, access to healthcare and due process — in the state’s immigration detention facilities.
    Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Reports from inside the facility reveal dire conditions, including insufficient food and water, unsanitary confinement, and medical neglect.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Baskin-Robbins: The ice cream shop chain has two special Mother's Day cakes – The Perfect Peony Cake and the Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • The doughnut chain had originally planned to sell its sweet treats at all of McD’s 13,000 restaurants.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • So organizations often fall into the trap of title inflation to retain or attract talent, which breeds entitlement, short-term thinking and cultures that don't support employees' well-being.
    Tonushree Mondal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • There is no point in acting like Liverpool fans should be above the traps of tribalism and self-aggrandisement that all football fans fall into.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • It was paired with a cropped navy V-neck bustier top with a white collar.
    Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
  • The long-sleeve top has layer-friendly buttons, a collar, and a longer hem that can be tucked into pants or left out.
    Nicol Natale, People.com, 2 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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