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
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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
Avian flu has decimated flocks of hens and constrained the supply of eggs at a time when demand for eggs has been increasing, causing prices to soar, according to Brian Earnest, lead economist for animal protein at CoBank.
—
John Towfighi, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
Factors like environmental regulations, depletion of accessible deposits, and operational challenges can further constrain production, which results in higher prices.
—Gabriel O Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The judge said he's constrained by the law in deciding bond.
—arkansasonline.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Zoom in: One option would involve relaxing bank regulations to exempt Treasury securities from counting toward the supplementary leverage ratio that constrains risk-taking by the biggest banks.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
John Towfighi, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
Factors like environmental regulations, depletion of accessible deposits, and operational challenges can further constrain production, which results in higher prices.
—Gabriel O Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The judge said he's constrained by the law in deciding bond.
—arkansasonline.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Zoom in: One option would involve relaxing bank regulations to exempt Treasury securities from counting toward the supplementary leverage ratio that constrains risk-taking by the biggest banks.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrain
Verb
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Mulligan invites Thompson — after her Misty used magic to compel the dragon to dance as a distraction — to roll for the dragon’s power to resist it.—
Eric Francisco,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
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If the court finds that Musk is the child's father, St. Clair can then compel him to pay child support.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Small banks and credit unions would be even more disadvantaged than their larger peers if the CFPB were to go away, industry advocates say, since they were never regulated by the agency and would face the same regulatory scrutiny as before.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2025
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Many probiotics are sold as supplements, which are minimally regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s rocky relationship with Zelensky goes back five years—to when Trump first held up military assistance Congress had authorized for Ukraine to coerce Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
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A week later, the White House used the threat of tariffs to coerce Mexico into dispatching thousands of additional troops along the U.S.-Mexico border to combat fentanyl smuggling.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Most drugstore shampoos contain harsh ingredients that dry out the scalp.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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Research from Cisco Talos threat intelligence in November 2024 revealed that 60% of all emails that contain a QR code were spam, and the majority of spam comes complete with a malicious threat these days.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Tracking the Trump administration’s rollback of climate and environmental policies can seem like being forced through a wormhole back in time.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
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The episode opened right where the last one left off — Britney was forced to decide Danielle’s fate at the roundtable after Danielle and Ivar tied in votes at the penultimate banishment ceremony.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In Court The Alabama Healthcare Insurance Battle BCBS controls 95% of the health insurance market in Alabama.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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After Toni's death, their daughter Haley said Harold tried to control her reaction after telling her about what happened.—
Sean Keane,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While the city is legally obligated to make the $175 million pension payment, the majority of staff covered by the municipal pension fund are current or former nonteacher CPS staff.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Mar. 2025
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On one hand, there's a series of boring meet-and-greets Fisk is obligated to make.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, in some cases, such as capturing and restraining a wild animal to relocate it, workers use tranquilizers or sedatives to make the animal sleepy, or cover its eyes and ears to reduce fear and prevent long-lasting problems.—
Rachel Blaser,
The Conversation,
24 Feb. 2025
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Guards restrained them with handcuffs on their feet and hands.—
Federico Rios,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrain. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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