as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
handcuffed by a dearth of funding, the preservation society can do little but stand by as these historic structures deteriorate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bound
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 hampered
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
Her precocity gives the novel its wit, but Shteyngart is also alert to the fact that a child, however bright, is fundamentally helpless. Not to mention desperate for her parents’ affection, which is in short supply for Vera.—
Mark Athitakis,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025 -
Evans stood next to a small boat, clad in waders and helpless to stop the rising waters.—
Keisha Rowe,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
This can include exploding upward with a vertical jump, bounding side to side, or swiftly changing directions.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
15 July 2025
-
Thanks to his coveted slot, Young bounds up the charts in the United Kingdom, as such a coveted slot can lead to a huge uptick in consumption.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
In 1995, Reeve suffered a spinal injury in a horse riding accident and became paralyzed from the neck down.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
11 July 2025
-
The Teddy Pendergrass thing [his first performance since a 1982 car crash left him paralyzed from the chest down] was overwhelming, very emotional.—
Gary Graff,
Billboard,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
But the Vikings are just as formidable — top 10 in points for and against and tied for the most takeaways in football.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
-
The Jaguars are notably 3-9 in one-score games — tied for the most such losses in one season in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats and Information.—
Scott Phillips,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The provision was ratified in the late nineteen-eighties, but conservatives allied with the country’s agricultural lobby have long impeded its enforcement.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Poor governance and economic stewardship have impeded the region’s development and generated the grievances behind the Arab Spring.—
Marwan Muasher,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
But Democrats see Earle-Sears as a far weaker candidate than Youngkin, operating a worse environment for the GOP.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
The status of the third remained unknown, but snow obstructed a full view of the nest.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Yoon apologized for his brief martial law decree, but later doubled down and defended the move, arguing the liberal party obstructed his political agenda.—
Sophia Vento,
The Hill,
8 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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