trammel 1 of 2

trammel

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb trammel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of trammel are clog, fetter, hamper, manacle, and shackle. While all these words mean "to hinder or impede in moving, progressing, or acting," trammel suggests entangling by or confining within a net.

rules that trammel the artist's creativity

In what contexts can clog take the place of trammel?

The meanings of clog and trammel largely overlap; however, clog usually implies a slowing by something extraneous or encumbering.

a court system clogged by frivolous suits

When is it sensible to use fetter instead of trammel?

Although the words fetter and trammel have much in common, fetter suggests a restraining so severe that freedom to move or progress is almost lost.

a nation fettered by an antiquated class system

When is hamper a more appropriate choice than trammel?

The words hamper and trammel are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hamper may imply the effect of any impeding or restraining influence.

hampered the investigation by refusing to cooperate

How is shackle related to other words for trammel?

Both shackle and manacle are stronger than fetter and suggest total loss of freedom.

a mind shackled by stubborn prejudice
a people manacled by tyranny

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 trammel
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
  • Players utilize a set of common rules -- that can be altered by the game master -- and dice to overcome obstacles as the group works to collaboratively tell a story.
    Remington Miller, Arkansas Online, 16 May 2025
  • Perhaps the biggest obstacle to bilateral relations is Ms. Hasina, whom India refuses to hand over to Bangladesh to stand trial on charges of corruption and human rights abuses.
    Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • This limited time deal is bound to go quickly, especially because that amazing sale price includes three bedding pieces—not just the quilt itself.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2025
  • It must be asked not as condemnation, but as a doorway to deeper understanding—of her, of ourselves, and of the social and emotional architecture that keeps so many of us bound in silence, shame, and survival.
    Shayla Brown, Essence, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • The Justice Department announced charges against McIver on May 19 for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement related to an altercation at a Newark immigration facility.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Representative LaMonica McIver has been charged with allegedly assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement officers following an incident outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Federal prosecutors charged Dugan in April with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
    Todd Richmond, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • The Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s aggressive use of the obstruction charges.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Without any restructures, that’s roughly 35 percent of the team’s salary cap tied to two players in the passing game.
    Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • Also the most recent winner of the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, Bell has won three points races — tying him with Kyle Larson for the most victories this season.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • This discrepancy hindered the adoption of BI, which might further damage AI by generating models that are trained with false assumptions and generate erroneous predictions.
    Artyom Keydunov, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Starring Frank Dillane, the film — which was already generating buzz before Cannes — follows a troubled but charming young man on the streets of London whose efforts to get his life in order are hindered by his own self-destructive tendencies.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Other hurdles, such as charging infrastructure and consumer education, remain.
    Michael Wayland, CNBC, 13 May 2025
  • Despite the logistical hurdles, the experience left a profound impact on the actor.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Dempsey was sent to live with a distant city counselor and grew up to work in data entry, confined to her apartment computer.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • No longer confined to the pursuit of profit alone, these powerful forces are being reimagined as instruments of global healing, capable of restoring trust, dignity and interconnectedness across all sectors.
    Yujia Zhu, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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