as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
years after his death, she was still trammeled by inconsolable grief for her deceased husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the new paperwork requirements will only trammel us and lower our productivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trammel
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Noun
The moment comes right before America Ferrera’s big monologue about the trammels of womanhood, when Robbie soliloquizes, too, about the loss of her self-esteem.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Verb
Children arrive into a trammeling grid of haves and have-nots set up long before their birth, a net that individual struggles serve only to tighten.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trammel
Noun
-
The branches of the military, which maintain their own communication networks, have their own obstacles.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
For Superman, that means preventing any of the negatives that do initially arise from becoming obstacles or bandwagon narratives in the press.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
This obviously matters because billions of people use Google, meaning that AI Mode is bound to be highly trafficked.—
Nancy Marshall,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
But now the City Council has advanced a binding resolution using a power granted under City Charter for the first time ever.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Though no charges have been filed, the probe was backed by DOJ leadership and stemmed from a memo by former Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, now a Trump judicial nominee, urging prosecution of state actors who impede immigration enforcement.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
-
Agents were executing a search warrant at the farm and arrested several individuals on suspicion of impeding the operation, according to Essayli.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Julie was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
-
Examples of Clean Team’s work Coronado cited an example of the Clean Team’s work is removing overhanging tree limbs in the right-of-way to maintain visibility and function for pedestrians and drivers, along with making sure sidewalks are free of obstructions.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
This small, daily action, tied to a routine cue, builds consistency, reduces reliance on motivation and strengthens willpower over time.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing last Friday, detailing how investigators were able to tie Alexander Lee Smith to the November 2023 double homicide.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
While the overall economic forecast remains ambiguous due to persistent worries regarding tariffs affecting major trading partners—which may incite inflation and hinder growth—Goldman is projected to gain from robust performance in its trading division.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
And further change to Apple’s executive ranks might hinder their efforts to expand in AI.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Scaling its use requires overcoming hurdles related to the transportation of bulky materials, establishing local milling facilities and securing access to renewable energy.—
Sahit Muja,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
One reason for the unexpectedly slow pace is that the Chinese companies have not cleared a key engineering hurdle.—
Selam Gebrekidan,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
The fire was initially confined and contained, with multiple strategies employed to protect structures, facilities, and infrastructure.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
In one study, researchers induced postnatal stress in a mouse (confining her, forcing her to swim) and separated her from her pups at unpredictable intervals.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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