straitjacket

variants also straightjacket
Definition of straitjacketnext
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.

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 straitjacket The icy straitjacket that kept the rocks from collapsing was no longer there. Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 May 2026 In any other administration, straitjackets would be the mandatory dress code. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026 First Man, the Neil Armstrong biopic that is Chazelle’s second collaboration with Gosling, feels like watching Gosling act his way out of a straitjacket. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 Pierce wiggled, jumped, twisted, pulled, huffed and puffed his way out of that straitjacket, taking a little bow at the end. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • She was released in December 2025 and has spent another eight months under house arrest or in halfway-house confinement.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In 1842, the appellate court reduced the offense from a premeditated breach of duty to a negligent one, acquitted Ebel of founding a sect, and quashed his confinement.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Diners are also trading up to fast-casual chains like Cava and Chipotle, which both called out strong growth among lower-end consumers during the latest quarter.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • People can become infected in one place and travel elsewhere before monitoring teams know they have been exposed, potentially creating new chains of transmission that are difficult to trace.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The trap is that the most tempting move an owner could make with this data is some form of monetization.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For them, character not only exists but functions as a compound, a cell, a trap.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services recommends microchipping pets, and animals should also wear a collar with an identification tag and current phone number.
    Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Portrait depicts a white-haired man clad in a dark article of clothing that’s topped with a white collar.
    News Desk, Artforum, 21 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on straitjacket

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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