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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuff
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Jamie pins the perp against the wall and, in a moment of poetic closure, Janko arrives and cuffs him using Badillo's handcuffs.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2024
The officers handcuffed Patterson as her kids stood nearby.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handcuff 
Noun
The 26-year-old, who appeared to be clean shaven, was wearing handcuffs and an orange prison jumpsuit as he was lead out of the court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday after waiving extradition.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Jamie pins the perp against the wall and, in a moment of poetic closure, Janko arrives and cuffs him using Badillo's handcuffs.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
The incident came two months after a different corrections officer injured Yandell during a transport, allegedly knocking him down and striking him while he was handcuffed.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2024
The officers handcuffed Patterson as her kids stood nearby.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for handcuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuff
Noun
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The fluid and fast-moving developments across Syria have put U.S. President Joe Biden's administration in yet another foreign policy bind just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
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Kramer’s flick acts more as a documentary than as a fiction in Ross’s hands, a documentary about the bind of acting when the face is so present, the horizon of meaning.Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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So far, these viral flashing light phenomena have not been tied to drone activity and could simply have been posted originally to troll people concerned about the drones.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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And because every number is loaded with callbacks and foreshadowings, both musically and lyrically, the rangy story is tied into a very tight thematic bundle.Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Kim Kardashian Videos In India Go Viral Before Anant Ambani Wedding By Alex Gonzalez Contributing Entertainment Writer 1 Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Kim Kardashian is everywhere this holiday season, and nothing can impede her socialite status.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
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Under a contingency plan the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs put out in January, veterans' access to healthcare, other benefits and even memorial services won't be impeded.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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What China needed was something like a final emperor, the breaker of the despotic chain who would summon modernity by fiat.Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
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Don't focus on loyalty programs (some of the best international hotels are not affiliated with large chains that provide points for a stay).T+L Editors, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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For years, Kazakhstan has worked with Jewish groups to repeal Cold War-era legislation hampering trade with the United States.Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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Shacks and buildings were left completely destroyed when the cyclone struck the nation hampered by poverty.Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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First, the cyclical economic impact of high interest rates and restrictive monetary policy has hindered investment, and by extension, growth and hiring.Chris Westfall, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Related article An owl’s ‘shocking’ color should hinder hunting.Julianna Bragg, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Mangione, shackled and dressed in a maroon sweater over a white shirt, pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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They were arrested, shackled and taken by helicopter to a federal jail cell.Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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If two people actually did this on a real-life New Year’s Eve TV show today, the clip would immediately go viral and everyone would be making fun of them on social media with snarky commentary and embarrassing GIFs and a hashtag: #newyearscrazydance.Bob Sassone, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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And then, on this trip in the last several days, living in the shadow of this larger-than-life character and feeling constantly put upon and shamed by him and embarrassed by him.Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near handcuff
Cite this Entry
“Handcuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuff. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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