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 language and specificity of bans that constrain which children get to play sports and where vary, but increasing numbers of them reach down to constrain children as young as kindergarten.
—
Dr. Jen Harvey, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Subjecting the chief executive to criminal liability for participating in policy decisions that might indirectly affect personal finances could constrain the ability to govern.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the Trump administration are eager to ramp up judicial confirmations, but their efforts have been constrained by the limited number of current vacancies.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025
Undermining green energy growth removes one of gas’s most important allies—and, paradoxically, could constrain its future.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Dr. Jen Harvey, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Subjecting the chief executive to criminal liability for participating in policy decisions that might indirectly affect personal finances could constrain the ability to govern.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the Trump administration are eager to ramp up judicial confirmations, but their efforts have been constrained by the limited number of current vacancies.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025
Undermining green energy growth removes one of gas’s most important allies—and, paradoxically, could constrain its future.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrain
Verb
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This fosters a competitive market where vendors are compelled to innovate on value, not by locking customers into their ecosystem.—
Rajat Bhargava,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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American filmmakers are mostly hostile to the technology, citing intellectual property theft, strained labor relations, and the environmental impact of data farms — while Chinese creatives have been compelled to embrace the speed and ease of AI for innovation.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
18 July 2025
Verb
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These entities have proliferated ever since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which effectively struck down longtime campaign finance regulations that sought to limit and regulate spending on political campaigns.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
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Some people may become less empathetic, while others may have a hard time regulating their emotions.—
Janelle McSwiggin,
Health,
20 July 2025
Verb
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Witnesses testified about whether the original detective and prosecutor in his case had coerced them into testifying against Bell at his 1995 trial.—
The Marshall Project,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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The school board responded that the materials did no more than expose the children to new ideas, and that in any case nobody was being coerced.—
Stephen L. Carter,
Mercury News,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Her rental car, containing her suitcase and all of her belongings, is towed.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
25 July 2025
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This post contains minor spoilers for Happy Gilmore 2. Nearly 30 years ago, Christopher McDonald left an indelible mark on pop culture with his performance as smarmy professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 sports comedy classic Happy Gilmore.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Blurry Vision High sugar levels force the body to pull fluid from your tissues, including the lenses of your eyes.—
Barbie Cervoni,
Verywell Health,
15 July 2025
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These high taxes explain why Tesla was forced to set its prices so high in India, despite the country’s preference for EVs at much lower price ranges.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
Verb
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In the nuclear era, for example, the U.S. government controlled the new technology, and planners had two decades to develop policy frameworks before a nuclear rival emerged.—
MATAN CHOREV,
Foreign Affairs,
22 July 2025
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Instead, point out the unhealthy ways that her boyfriend is behaving – controlling behavior, anger and lashing out, isolating her and her kids, and monitoring her communication.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Legal experts warn that compliance may violate the Fair Housing Act and that landlords are not legally obligated to respond without judicial oversight.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to a field sobriety test, pre-arrest test or cheek swab at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Law Offices of Grech and Parker in Riverside. Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, according to Bee archives.—
Sarah Linn
July 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Video posted to social media by a passenger showed law enforcement escorting a man off the plane with his hands restrained behind his back.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
18 July 2025
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Farrell was then restrained by crew members and escorted off stage.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrain. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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