TRAMMEL Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

trammel 1 of 2

noun

Definition of trammel

as in obstacle

something that makes movement or progress difficult students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

trammel

2 of 2

verb

ˈtra-məl

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 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

Verb

The Constitution and the law are only more to be revered because they are being trammeled. — Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trammel

Noun

There’s outward social and internalized pressure on the Dashwood sisters to marry, and do it quickly, but per any Austen tale, the path is blotchy and blocked by obstacles and second-guessing.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
During robot operation, LiDAR supplies information about the surrounding environment, helping the framework account for obstacles and available clearance.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacle

Verb

Also, a decision by a federal appeals court binds federal district courts within its jurisdiction—here, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming—and serves as influential precedent elsewhere.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
His hands and legs were bound, duct tape covered his face, and his body was burned and showed signs of decomposition, according to the record.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of bind

Verb

But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
The insects tunnel their way into the trunk, impeding the tree’s water and nutrient supply and killing it within a year.

— Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of impede

Verb

The chair of Fayette County Democrats, Tracy Wilson, said the Uniontown Police Department is already short-staffed and underfunded and believes the program could hinder officers from answering calls.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Celebrity guests accompany the contestants, ideally helping and not hindering them, to an all-or-nothing final, where one test decides everything, including the true identity of the player.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hinder

Verb

No longer confined to gambling dens and brothel districts, yakuza muscled their way into other businesses, some legal, some not.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Stepping onto the train felt surreal, an experience previously confined to my trips aboard.

— Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of confine

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trammeled

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“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of trammel

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verb

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