1
as in binding
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
museum artifacts that serve as somber reminders of the days when slaves were fettered with irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impeding
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the belief that too many rules and restrictions fetter children's creativity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fettering
Verb
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Maybe the implications of binding yourself in chains?—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
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That’s key given the agreement would be legally binding and set rules, fees, timelines and more for both parties.—
Verb
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DeFoor was set to appear in federal court later Tuesday on federal charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.—
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DeFoor also faces federal charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.—
Verb
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Even if the Rams had scored with, say, 90 seconds to go instead of 38 seconds, because a blitz misfired, at least Carolina would have had time to try for a tying field goal and send the game into OT.—
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And an offsides penalty by defensive end Braden Fiske on third-and-five gave the Panthers a fresh set of downs on a drive that ended in a game-tying field goal.—
Verb
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This left the country without a regular budget for next year and is hampering plans for long-overdue structural reforms and decisions on use of EU support funds.—
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Decades-old grids in the US are hampering new energy rollouts, and Spain’s huge blackout in April was blamed on an aged system unable to cope with power swings.—
Verb
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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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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.—
Verb
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Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.—
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Troconis is serving a 14½ year prison sentence following a trial that ended with her conviction on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence, hindering prosecution and additional conspiracy charges.—
Verb
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Florida laws are constraining the choice of residents to install their own solar generation and storage capabilities.—
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Electricity, which was abundant enough to be taken for granted, now looks like the bottleneck constraining everything from data centers to manufacturing.—
Verb
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Salah was convicted in April on one count of planting the hoax bomb and another count of obstructing the free exercise of religion.—
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Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is facing federal charges for allegedly obstructing agents trying to arrest an undocumented immigrant.—
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Cite this Entry
“Fettering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fettering. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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