SHACKLING Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

shackling

verb

present participle of shackle

as in binding

to confine or restrain with or as if with chains unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hampering

to create difficulty for the work or activity of shackled by poverty and ignorance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shackling There is nothing just about shackling people that have never committed a crime. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026 Both players played well, Romero shackling Jude Bellingham for much of the evening, Spence producing a famous recovery tackle on Giuliano Simeone when England were 1-0 up. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Khushboo Gupta, vice president of policy at PETA India, said the aesthetic appeal of live elephants doesn’t justify shackling, beating and separating them from their families. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 In 2019, David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children at their home in California, starving them and providing only a minimal education. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families. — Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026 Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026 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. — Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackling

Verb

By binding to both, Imdelltra brings T cells into close contact with tumor cells, helping the immune system destroy the cancer.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The company subsequently made that commitment legally binding in contracts with European national governments and the Commission.

— Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of binding

Verb

The officials said the restrictions were disrupting high-speed military drones, hampering Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attacks and conduct operations along the front line.

— Garrett Downs, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Kyiv sees this as an attempt to pressure it into concessions by hampering its aerial defense and military operations.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

Democrat Aaron Ford is tying high fuel and household costs to Trump’s policies and portraying Lombardo as too closely aligned with the president.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Senior linebacker Boen Phelps was a big part of that effort, tying fifth-year edge Jayden Virgin-Morgan with six total tackles.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of tying

Verb

Advertisement But other allies of Jackson say an overcautious campaign is impeding the Bernie Sanders progressive and stalwart labor champion from connecting with voters.

— Julia Terruso, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Schwank also took issue with ICE’s characterization that Moreida was standing in the middle of an active road and impeding law enforcement’s actions.

— Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

For more than a week, Ukraine had faced a speed limit on the Starshield satellite terminals used by its military, hindering its ability to intercept fast-moving Russian drones.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Willie Herndon faces a murder charge and Taiya Herndon, who drove her husband to Illinois after the shooting, was arrested on charges of hindering prosecution, according to police.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Potentially containing trillions of parameters — values learned during training — frontier models require vast computing resources, largely confining them to data centers, where they can be more easily monitored and, in principle, switched off.

— Robert Hart, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026
Luck was not widespread among Wednesday’s Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 and Powerball drawings, confining itself to a single ticket.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of confining

Verb

The federal agency also warned that obstructing immigration officers is a federal crime.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
During the investigation, it was alleged that Stewart, who is a resident, returned to the property and was later taken into custody for obstructing a peace officer.

— Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstructing

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shackles

shackling

shacks

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“Shackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shackling

verb

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