1
as in binding
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
wanted to take the trip, but was handcuffed by her responsibility to watch her ailing father
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impeding
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the fear that the new mandatory, standardized tests will handcuff the state's teachers, who will have to specifically tailor their lesson plans for the test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffing
The clip posted by the White House begins with footage of a protest against ICE operations before cutting to a montage of agents handcuffing and detaining people.
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Luke Fountain, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025
The recording depicts at least three agents pushing Enriquez to the ground and handcuffing him.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Law enforcement began handcuffing and pulling people sitting in front of the office’s gates.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Moments later, police officers suddenly surrounded him, ordering him to the ground and handcuffing him, the local station reported.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Soon after, four police officers can be seen running up to him and tackling him to the ground before handcuffing him and searching his belongings.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The footage also shows officers handcuffing him.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Multiple deputies responded to assist in handcuffing Adair, the KBI said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
The sight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents handcuffing and chaining the wrists, waists and ankles of skilled technicians shocked South Koreans.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffing
Verb
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Maybe the implications of binding yourself in chains?—
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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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In Wisconsin, a bill that would restrict shackling inmates while in labor — something most states already ban — has repeatedly failed to pass the state Legislature.—
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.—
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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