as in bind
usually handcuffs plural
something that physically prevents free movement
the man reluctantly held out his wrists so the policeman could snap on handcuffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to bind
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuff
Nicole Acosta, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Richardson put handcuffs on the 11-year-old and locked him in the back of the patrol car.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
Travis Bean, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt handcuffed the offense early, and now more injuries are piling up in the receiver room.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handcuff 
Noun
Police-body camera footage obtained by the outlet shows officers forcing Tyson to the ground and putting him in handcuffs, with his hands behind his back.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Richardson put handcuffs on the 11-year-old and locked him in the back of the patrol car.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Gerald had handcuffed Jessie to the bed as part of the game, leaving her trapped and unable to escape.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt handcuffed the offense early, and now more injuries are piling up in the receiver room.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handcuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuff
Noun
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But their story also offers a glimpse into the bind that some nonfiction filmmakers are facing in a cost-cutting, risk-averse market.Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
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From reductions in absentee ballot boxes to limitations to casting an emergency ballot on Election Day, voters will have fewer options and will be in a bind if their schedules change at the last minute due to the 2021 passing of S.B. 202.Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Boost’s fastest downloads, up to 1Gbps, come on phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S24 that support four-channel carrier aggregation, in which the network ties multiple 5G channels together to maximize throughput.Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
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Jokic tipped in his own miss with 49 seconds left to tie the game and set up for Denver’s fifth win that has come down to the last possession of regulation.Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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He was arrested in Savannah and is charged with felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.Phil Helsel, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Prosecutors were accusing Bundy of possessing firearms in a federal facility and of conspiring to impede federal officers.Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Their cutbacks on spending forced a reckoning among restaurants, with fast-food brands like McDonald’s leaning into value menus and full-service chains like Red Lobster embarking on ambitious makeovers.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Taco Bell has been proactive in using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram (META) to engage with users, and the Tex-Mex chain has even gone so far as to let customers vote through the Taco Bell app on which menu items should make a comeback.Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But it has not been shut down or hampered by government action even under Biden, and the new Trump administration likely also won’t take any action against it.CNN.com, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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The massive pier project was hampered by unexpected bad weather and security issues, as well as persistent safety issues involving Israeli forces that prompted aid agencies to halt distribution of the supplies out of fear of being injured and killed.Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Brendan Carr, the GOP commissioner often tipped as Trump’s likely pick for a new FCC chair, frequently decries the current rules as addressing a threat—providers outright blocking an app or hindering its performance—that no longer exists while giving the commission too much power over providers.Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
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The severe weather comes as millions of Americans head to the polls, raising concerns that flash flooding, heavy downpours, and lightning risks could hinder voter turnout and cause travel delays.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Europe, by contrast, lags behind, shackled by red tape and an over-cautious approach to investing in new technologies.Frank Holmes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Nearly a dozen federal agents were present for those hearings, in a courtroom that was packed with friends and relatives of the defendants, who all appeared in street clothes and shackled at the ankles.Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Once again, get ready to avoid embarrassing the CFO.Martha Amram, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The Bears lost in humiliating fashion on Sunday, but a player's behavior late in the game has embarrassed fans more than the actual loss. Driving the news: With the Bears one play away from victory, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was caught taunting the D.C. crowd.Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near handcuff
Cite this Entry
“Handcuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuff. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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