pinion

verb

Definition of pinionnext
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains Joan of Arc was pinioned to a stake and burned as a heretic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pinion Haas thus theorized that the victim had been pinioned by both heels to the front of the upright beam either with their legs splayed open, frog-like, or with their knees bent and turned to one side. — Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023 There is only one substantial object in the show, a set of wooden stocks for pinioning the legs of multiple enslaved people. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for pinion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinion
  1. bind
  2. tie
  3. chain
  4. shackle
  5. lash
  6. fetter
Verb
  • Alex Bump, the team’s biggest star and Flyers-bound forward, was kept without a goal in the last two games.
    — Joe Smith, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Malone says that restrictive behaviour around eating would typically be seen more widely at this time of the season, with players bound for warmer climates in the summer and wanting their physique to stand up to public scrutiny.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of bind
Verb
  • Eligibility for premium subsidies for insurance plans sold in Affordable Care Act marketplaces is also tied to the official poverty level.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Johnson is currently tied for 27th in the LIV Golf standings this season.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of tie
Verb
  • Student protesters have accused the university of not doing enough to keep them safe from federal immigration enforcement, going so far as to chain themselves last week to the campus gates.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Authorities placed him in handcuffs, shackled his feet, and chained his waist before flying him out of Miami International Airport.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of chain
Verb
  • The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • In 2023, Daniel Cortes De La Valle experienced multiple seizures at the facility, and one while shackled during a visit to an outside medical provider, a civil complaint alleges.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of shackle
Verb
  • Better to lash out first, or at least build up a protective armor.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
  • All the while, sawn-off shotguns; love locks inscribed with names lashed to bridges, their keys slung into the river; and other reminders of modern life are topping up the Thames.
    — Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of lash
Verb
  • It’s become a common refrain by the government that the president’s executive power cannot be fettered by the courts.
    — Ella Lee, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures.
    — John D. Witiak, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024
Definition of fetter

Browse Nearby Words

pining (for)
pinion
pinioned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinion. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on pinion

Nglish: Translation of pinion for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pinion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All