1
as in limiting
to set bounds or an upper limit for
will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imprisoning
to put in or as if in prison
the accused was confined until the trial could take place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confining
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.
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Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Miškinis and writer Eglė Vertelytė (who adapts Rimantas Kmita’s semi-autobiographical novel) masterfully dodge genre tropes, avoiding confining their characters to simplistic labels and keeping the focus of their arcs self-motivated.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
Constraints give creative energy a direction to travel, shaping the search space while also confining it — just enough that exploration becomes deeper, weirder, and more productive.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
Here in California, voters approved Proposition 12 in 2018 to set more humane standards for confining farm animals.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Forcing them out means confining most of Gaza's population to overcrowded encampments along the coast further south lacking food, medical supplies and space.
—Steven Scheer, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Bruni Tedeschi captures her in that vortex — her pulmonary illness confining her to bed one minute and her artistic drives reanimating her with defiant spirit the next.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Wildlife art can be confining, constricting, customary; contemporary artists are assuring its survival and vibrancy by breaking from the traditional.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Plants are also unbothered by confining pavement and other urban challenges.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confining
Verb
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Iran has also imposed widespread internet and telephone blackouts during the protests, limiting visibility into the situation on the ground.—
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Nevertheless, the McAlarneys admit that keeping their children away from smartphones and limiting technology is easier said than done, especially in today’s digital age.—
Verb
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For decades, the Islamic Republic has neutered its domestic opposition, imprisoning its critics including former presidents.—
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Maduro ruled Venezuela's 28 million people as an autocrat, imprisoning his opposition and leaving the economy of an oil rich nation in shambles.—
Verb
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But efforts to mitigate human harms—restricting harvests, remodeling dams, breeding salmon in hatcheries—are yielding diminishing returns.—
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The onerous covenants include, among others, restricting WBD’s ability to modify, renew or terminate affiliation agreements.—
Verb
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Symbolic political prisoner releases bring hope The Chavismo movement has been accused of jailing political prisoners for decades and holding them in the infamous Helicoide prison, controlled by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN).—
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There were massacres, suppression of speech, banning of political opposition, closing of non-Islamist press, jailing of opponents and public executions of political and religious enemies.—
Verb
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Thanks to his commitment to help others, Tapia has served as a mentor in Cal State DC Scholars, a program in which students earn academic credit while interning in the nation’s capital.—
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According to one professional biography, Halligan developed an interest in law while interning at the Denver City Attorney's Office in college.—
Cite this Entry
“Confining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confining. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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