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students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies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
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
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
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 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
In the middle of the Mediterranean, off the coast of the island nation of Malta, a professional fisherman dropped his trammel net into the water.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
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
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 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
-
This small but mighty cleaner has dual side brushes, multiple cleaning modes, and obstacle-avoidance technology.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Yet despite these obstacles, Pita’s voice has only grown louder, emerging as a leading figure in the global conversation on democracy and reform.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Supreme Court is not bound by what those lower court judges have said or even its own past rulings.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
-
In this study, researchers discovered that RNA from yeast can bind with proteins in beer, creating microscopic particles that scatter light.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The scandal has already impeded the effort to hold Israel accountable for the death toll in Gaza; the woman fears that anger at Israel might now lead members of the assembly to discount her story and, instead, side with Khan.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
However, 76ers guard Kennedy Chandler impeded his path, and Hart hit the hardwood in clear pain.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Last month, a grand jury voted to indict Comey on two charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstruction, while rejecting an additional false statements count sought by Halligan.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The latest arrests by Illinois State Police involved charges of resisting and obstruction.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin , Matt Finn , Michael Tobin,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
David Rosenberg, founder of the economic and market insights firm Rosenberg Research, similarly highlighted flaws with the gauge, including the use of GDP, which includes government sector activity that isn’t tied to corporate profits or future earnings.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Your entire life is tied to your job.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These gaps have long hindered the growth of private assets in investor portfolios.—
Henry Fernandez,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Lower mortgage rates, which have fallen in recent weeks in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates for the first time since December 2024, are helping get buyers back to the market—but experts think that a government shutdown might hinder their return.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The award had stock price hurdles of $350 and $400 and Clarke got no long-term equity grants in 2020, 2022, and 2023.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Ren also noted practical hurdles.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Four people have been sentenced for animal cruelty after keeping over 30 dogs and seven ferrets confined to a single room in a Bethel home.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
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Some paid dearly for their dissent by losing their jobs, being sent to prison labor camps, being confined in psychiatric institutions, and/or forced into exile.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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