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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Recent Examples of straitjacket
Revenue concerns compared to their direct rivals can be offset by getting back into the Champions League, enabling the club to loosen the financial straitjacket and spend on the players Emery wants, regardless of their age.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The first three weeks saw an 8-year-old aerialist, a 74-year-old comedian, a laser-performing duo from Vietnam and a Las Vegas magician who hung from the ceiling in a straitjacket.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Mikey struggles to keep up with the two Gucci duffels wrapped around his shoulders like a straitjacket.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Known for its aggressive high-top design, the Air Max2 CB 94’s key features include elastic straps on the tongue said to be inspired by straightjackets, a nod to Barkley’s volatile reputation in the ‘90s.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The first three weeks saw an 8-year-old aerialist, a 74-year-old comedian, a laser-performing duo from Vietnam and a Las Vegas magician who hung from the ceiling in a straitjacket.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Mikey struggles to keep up with the two Gucci duffels wrapped around his shoulders like a straitjacket.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Known for its aggressive high-top design, the Air Max2 CB 94’s key features include elastic straps on the tongue said to be inspired by straightjackets, a nod to Barkley’s volatile reputation in the ‘90s.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
-
Investigators also cited electronic monitoring data showing Pooh Shiesty was at the studio despite being on home confinement for a prior federal firearms conviction.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Shah is now on home confinement, having been released in December 2025 after serving nearly three years in prison.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Set the scene The latest ultra-luxury hotel chain to land in Greece, and the newest milestone in the ritzy revival of the Athenian Riviera.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Through a red chain-link curtain is a back room containing the likes of Screw, Al Goldstein’s erotic tabloid from the sixties and seventies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And so many people back then were in a trap.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
These torons act as microscopic traps for light.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The shoe’s collar wraps securely around the ankle, almost in a sock-like way, to enhance stability.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The display showed, on the left, the face of a gray-haired man with a resolute expression, his neck vanishing into a white collar and dark suit.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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