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students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies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
Relevance
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
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
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
-
Still, recent history has thrown obstacles in the way of developers’ timelines for Sacramento-area sports venues.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
It was struck down, eliminating an obstacle for those lawsuits to get to trial.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Whether your child is 4 or 14, they’re bound to enjoy building their own creations from this Lego Brick Box that’s on sale for $18.—
Laura Lu,
Parents,
10 Nov. 2025
-
So, pack your hiking boots, your binoculars, and maybe a little extra phone storage for the photos you’re bound to take.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Yet the current administration’s dismissive stance toward mRNA science, particularly COVID vaccines, could impede that effort.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
New data shows Loop vacancies ballooned over the recent third quarter as post-pandemic work trends continue to impact and impede demand.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Jason Olson was cited for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation and obstruction of government operations, according to FOX 10.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The filing, entered Monday by Comey’s legal defense team, confirms that evidence collected in the leak investigation, codenamed Arctic Haze, is central to the Justice Department’s false-statement and obstruction case against him.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
This was tied at 20-20 through 14 minutes, until the game went tilt with a 20-5 Aztecs run to close the half.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Yet, challenges such as battery weight, regulation, safety, and scalability still hinder most projects.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Did the leaks hinder your creative approach to making music?—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Separately, industry experts point to fundamental technical hurdles.—
Ruben Nyanguila,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The landfill project has faced several hurdles and drawn the ire of residents since 2024, when Chisholm filed an application for a permit.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Arpaio became well known for his harsh treatment of immigrants and jail inmates, confining them in tents without air conditioning in Arizona’s torrid climate.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These efforts highlight that hypersonic technology is no longer confined to the arsenals of superpowers.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share