as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
years after his death, she was still trammeled by inconsolable grief for her deceased husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the new paperwork requirements will only trammel us and lower our productivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trammel
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Noun
The moment comes right before America Ferrera’s big monologue about the trammels of womanhood, when Robbie soliloquizes, too, about the loss of her self-esteem.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Verb
Children arrive into a trammeling grid of haves and have-nots set up long before their birth, a net that individual struggles serve only to tighten.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trammel
Noun
-
Highlighting the beauty and peril of open water swimming and the obstacles women continue to face in the pursuit of equality, Vindication Swim has been praised for its vivid portrait of Gleitze as a pioneering trailblazer for women’s open water swimming around the world.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The move by Maxwell, while expected, adds to the obstacles the DOJ must overcome to release grand jury transcripts from Epstein's and Maxwell's cases.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Devers is bound to get back to All-Star form at the plate over the course of his career in San Francisco.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
-
This quick chicken recipe has a thick sauce and is loaded with fresh veggies, so it's bound to be a weeknight staple.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Ward was arrested in Texas on June 12 and charged with assault on a family member by impeding breathing or circulation, which is a third-degree felony.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Baltimore County is on a list of states, cities, and counties identified by the Justice Department as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.—
Cale Ahearn,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Winner of the 1989 Academy Award for Documentary Feature, this moving film explores the human stories obscured by statistics, examining the cross-section of identities affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as efforts to combat the stigma, misinformation, and political obstruction that deepened the crisis.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Fain refused to provide records requested by the monitor, constituting an obstruction of transparency and cooperation.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Those declines were tied to a drop in sales of Weyco's Nunn Bush, Stacy Adams, Florsheim and BOGS brands to retailers.—
Sofia Joseph,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
State lawmaker's per-diem reimbursements are tied to federal rates.—
Brittany Carloni,
IndyStar,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
For a company as vast and diverse as PepsiCo, inconsistency in planning systems can hinder visibility and performance.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Consumer experts as well as current and former CFPB employees, however, said the cuts will likely hinder the agency’s effectiveness.—
Joel Jacobs,
ProPublica,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Funneling the prescriptions through one particular pharmacy introduces a variety of logistical hurdles and delays.—
Samuel Ganz,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Soon after, another hurdle appeared: a recurring inguinal hernia that led to frequent hospital visits, including spending Christmas Day in the emergency room.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Admittedly, the legal troubles right now would seemingly be confined to aspects of or within Illinois, since this is a state law and not a broader federal law.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Moraes ordered authorities to seize his cellphone and confine him to house arrest, limiting visits to his family and allies.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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