1
as in tying
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffing
The deputy saw the interaction and decided to investigate, handcuffing the girl in the process.
—
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 Aug. 2025
The video shows deputies handcuffing him and escorting him to a vehicle, at which point the handcuffs are removed from his wrists.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In the Wednesday episode, first reported by Gothamist and captured on video, a DHS officer is seen handcuffing an aide, who is crying.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 2 June 2025
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 Aug. 2025
The video shows deputies handcuffing him and escorting him to a vehicle, at which point the handcuffs are removed from his wrists.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In the Wednesday episode, first reported by Gothamist and captured on video, a DHS officer is seen handcuffing an aide, who is crying.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 2 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffing
Verb
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The improvements came in the passing attack, with wideout Javen Nicholas recording a career-best 11 catches for 122 yards, coming just one shy of tying Austin Duke’s program reception record of 12.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
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On the other hand, Democrats have worked to nationalize the race by tying Earle-Sears to Trump and his efforts to slash the federal workforce.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Former Klamath Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell, a longtime advocate for dam removal, told The Arizona Republic in 2024 that his tribe had suffered from the dams impeding salmon migration years before the downriver tribes.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
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But that kind of government involvement carries any number of risks, like impeding overall economic growth or making US companies less competitive around the world.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With few credible projects elsewhere, and with legal and political battles still hampering California, the outlook isn’t good.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Since Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United 10 months ago, the team’s struggles to score goals have been hampering them.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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It was spell binding to hear Ken talk Russia back in the day, about being followed by secret police & the final 7th game.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Your congressman can now sign the discharge petition to force a vote on binding legislation to release the Epstein files.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The senior Lebanese official warned that continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon are hindering government efforts to disarm the group.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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Armstrong was on probation for a case in Georgia involving charges of first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment, simple battery and obstructing or hindering of law enforcement, records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Armstrong was on probation for a case in Georgia involving charges of first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment, simple battery and obstructing or hindering of law enforcement, records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Burning Man organizers stressed the importance of not obstructing the investigation.—
Stepheny Price , Julia Bonavita , Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These systems are built with high security standards such as digital signatures, transaction chaining and sequential numbering, all aimed at making sales data immutable and resistant to manipulation.—
Darko Pavic,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Juggling enemies, chaining attacks, and wrapping it up in one smooth, slow-mo finisher is incredibly satisfying.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The mother, being a mother, finds fault and has embarrassing politics.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
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On top of that already embarrassing history, Ravens longtime head coach John Harbaugh has made some unfortunate NFL history of his own.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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