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students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
-
Listen to this article The path back to the pinnacle was littered with obstacles.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
-
But Sunshine’s cast is filled with superb actors, including Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Benedict Wong, and Michelle Yeoh — not to mention a pre-fame Chris Evans — as their spacecraft faces deadly obstacles on the way to completing this desperate mission.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Three days later, the girls’ bodies were discovered with plastic bags over their heads and their hands bound at Rock Island Campground, police said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
-
More than 20 commercial aircraft bound for Doha, Qatar, diverted, while another four heading to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates turned around, according to aviation data firm Cirium.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
The indictment, announced earlier this month, accuses McIver of three counts: two felonies for assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers—each carrying up to eight years in prison—and a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of one year.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
-
This month she was indicted on three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The 71-year-old was convicted in July 2024 of 16 counts, including extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
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According to records from the DeKalb County jail, where the reporter remains detained, he was charged with improperly entering a pedestrian roadway, obstruction of law enforcement officers and unlawful assembly.—
Marlon Sorto,
CNN Money,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Around 61% of workers say that the climb up the corporate ladder feels outdated, with Gen Z and millennials just about tied at 65% and 62% respectively.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
-
On the eve of Lionel Messi’s 38th birthday, more than 60,000 fans at Hard Rock Stadium watched in amazement as his Inter Miami team took a 2-0 lead on Brazilian great Palmeiras, and then held their breath as Palmeiras tied it 2-2 in an entertaining Club World Cup match.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
However, rather than hindering its movement, this feature is actually an adaptation that enhances its ability to survive in a diverse range of North American habitats.—
Smithsonian magazine,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 June 2025
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And continuing to avoid important financial conversations when a child returns home as an adult can further hinder a boomerang child's ability to navigate future financial decisions, Gonzalez says.—
Natalie Wu,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Although House supporters of the bill have reportedly promised to push the bill through, so Trump can sign it into law by July, the GENIUS Act is likely to face hurdles.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2025
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All of these had been manageable hurdles this postseason.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
The Democrats’ fundraising advantage isn’t confined to the governor’s race.—
Olivia Diaz,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
-
Animals large and small—those that had evolved to sprint across plains and live half their lives submerged in water—were confined in rows of tiny, barren cages lined with metal bars.—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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