1
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to regulate
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
constrained his anger at the needless interruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constrain
The players contend this framework violates antitrust law by constraining the market for athletic services offered by D-I football to former JUCO football players.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 July 2025
But an economic slowdown appears to be constraining the bank’s ability to tighten policy.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 8 July 2025
But the agreement was only temporary, did nothing to constrain Iran’s broader destabilizing behavior, and gave the regime new sources of revenue.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 4 July 2025
Netflix’s emphasis on extensive pre-production planning and robust post-production work represents a significant shift for an industry previously constrained by tight broadcast schedules and limited resources.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 July 2025
But an economic slowdown appears to be constraining the bank’s ability to tighten policy.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 8 July 2025
But the agreement was only temporary, did nothing to constrain Iran’s broader destabilizing behavior, and gave the regime new sources of revenue.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 4 July 2025
Netflix’s emphasis on extensive pre-production planning and robust post-production work represents a significant shift for an industry previously constrained by tight broadcast schedules and limited resources.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrain
Verb
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So she still feels compelled to speak up for these fellow children of God.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 July 2025
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That compels people to shell out somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000 for courtside seats for a summer league game, as people did Thursday.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Camps nationwide are regulated in a number of ways in order to prevent tragedies.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
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Unlike medications, supplements are not regulated by the FDA.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
8 July 2025
Verb
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One of the former detectives Dillard accused of helping harass and coerce a witness into testifying was among the Wolverines.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
3 July 2025
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In the end, the evidence came down to how coerced the female victims were.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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But complexity theorists suspect that PSPACE is a much larger class, containing many problems that aren’t in P.—
Ben Brubaker,
Wired News,
13 July 2025
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But the superfood also contains actinidin, an enzyme that helps digestion by breaking down proteins.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Initially, the plant’s staff was overwhelmed, forcing Motorola to briefly backtrack on its promise to deliver phones to customers within four days.—
Verne Kopytoff,
Fortune,
5 July 2025
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Frankie Grande was forced to compete alone in a two person Battle of the Block Competition when his teammate Caleb abandoned him and sat out.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
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While Congress ultimately controls NASA’s budget, Trump’s goals are to cut its workforce, reduce commitments to the International Space Station, shut down nearly 1/3 of its science missions and focus on moon and Mars plans.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
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The Big Ten and SEC control what the next CFP format looks like.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Judges are not obligated to consider amicus briefs since they are submitted by non-parties.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 June 2025
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The family told the local station that doctors allegedly said they were legally obligated to keep Smith on life support until the fetus was viable.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
19 June 2025
Verb
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There have been no recorded shoe bombings, in the sky or on the ground, since passengers and crew subdued and restrained Reid on that 2001 flight.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
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Crew members and passengers noticed and restrained him.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrain. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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