1
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
a time-honored tradition is fine as long as it doesn't become a fetter that prevents us from trying something new
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
claims that government regulations are unnecessary fetters that keep him from achieving his business goals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chain
something that physically prevents free movement
considered a seat belt a pointless fetter—until one saved his life in an auto accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
museum artifacts that serve as somber reminders of the days when slaves were fettered with irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the belief that too many rules and restrictions fetter children's creativity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fetter
Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
Rumors circulated before the killing of Khashoggi that King Salman was concerned enough to consider putting some fetters on his heir.
—Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2018
The solution to this question can be reached not by deifying the nation, but on the contrary by completely liberating productive forces from the fetters imposed upon them by the national state.
—Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
One man even contrived somehow to get across while still in iron fetters.
—Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
Its stage is where King Kong broke his fetters in the 1933 movie.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2023
And then there’s the New Deal, another famous attempt to slap fetters on the rough beast of capitalism.
—Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019
This early recording is unique—brisk and pugnacious, a stormy, bitter Schubert raging against his earthly fetters and then distilling his passions, in the last movement, into headlong lunges, dazzling whirls, and delicate pirouettes.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2020
Like the shrimp and grits, the fetter papa burger ($15) is appropriately decadent.
—Lindsey McClave, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2019
Ella Lee, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures.
—John D. Witiak, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024
Ruskin felt insulted and legally fettered by the verdict.
—Adrian Dannatt, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023
Certain wandered between rows of mannequins fettered with leg irons, claustrophobic dungeon cells and a towering guillotine.
—Jeremy Redmon, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
After the beating, he was fettered in iron chains around his ankles, which would rub his skin raw.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023
Teddy Roosevelt broke up the trusts, regulated the food supply, created the National Park System, and fettered the railroads.
—Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019
Botany was also often fettered to expertise in gardening, another activity that fell within the realm of the feminine.
—Amandas Ong, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2018
In many developing countries, girls face two starkly divergent paths: one fettered by gender inequality and cut short by early childbearing and the other offering personal fulfillment and economic improvement that benefit families and nations.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2018
Noun
But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
Rumors circulated before the killing of Khashoggi that King Salman was concerned enough to consider putting some fetters on his heir.
—Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2018
The solution to this question can be reached not by deifying the nation, but on the contrary by completely liberating productive forces from the fetters imposed upon them by the national state.
—Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
One man even contrived somehow to get across while still in iron fetters.
—Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
Its stage is where King Kong broke his fetters in the 1933 movie.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2023
And then there’s the New Deal, another famous attempt to slap fetters on the rough beast of capitalism.
—Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019
This early recording is unique—brisk and pugnacious, a stormy, bitter Schubert raging against his earthly fetters and then distilling his passions, in the last movement, into headlong lunges, dazzling whirls, and delicate pirouettes.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2020
Like the shrimp and grits, the fetter papa burger ($15) is appropriately decadent.
—Lindsey McClave, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2019
Verb
It’s become a common refrain by the government that the president’s executive power cannot be fettered by the courts.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures.
—John D. Witiak, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024
Ruskin felt insulted and legally fettered by the verdict.
—Adrian Dannatt, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023
Certain wandered between rows of mannequins fettered with leg irons, claustrophobic dungeon cells and a towering guillotine.
—Jeremy Redmon, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
After the beating, he was fettered in iron chains around his ankles, which would rub his skin raw.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023
Teddy Roosevelt broke up the trusts, regulated the food supply, created the National Park System, and fettered the railroads.
—Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019
Botany was also often fettered to expertise in gardening, another activity that fell within the realm of the feminine.
—Amandas Ong, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2018
In many developing countries, girls face two starkly divergent paths: one fettered by gender inequality and cut short by early childbearing and the other offering personal fulfillment and economic improvement that benefit families and nations.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetter
Noun
-
Improper restriction and exclusion of ill food service employees.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2025
-
There are no gestational age restrictions, although most abortions are performed during the first trimester and those after 23 weeks require specialized care.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than replace the free-for-all with a streamlined review process, restaurants seeking approval for new sheds hit delay after delay, bureaucratic obstacle after bureaucratic obstacle.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Unlike clumsier species that struggle with obstacles, the black mamba leverages every surface with surgical precision, effectively turning the landscape into a series of launchpads.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The effects could ripple up the chain to textile makers and farmers as everyone seeks lower prices to save costs.—
Marc Bain and Joan Kennedy,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
-
In the case of Tom’s, Schaden says teams are eager partners given the chain’s ability to bring in crowds even when there isn’t an event at the venue.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
She was later found bound with three leather belts, one of which was used to tie her ankles.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Any purchaser of 23andMe assets should agree to be bound by the company's existing privacy policy, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a letter to the U.S. trustee, a government office that oversees bankruptcies.—
Jody Godoy,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The charges were first dropped a few weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term in part because the case would impede Adams’ ability to do his job as mayor, including cooperating with Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Justice Department’s new acting deputy attorney general wrote.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Removing opportunities for public commentary could impede the department’s ability to operate in the public’s interest, according to experts who spoke with Reuters.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Lynch’s installment, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, is executive produced by Angela Bassett and Academy Award winner Halle Berry, and highlights Black women who have led films while navigating a different set of expectations, constraints, and pressures.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 Apr. 2025
-
For conservatives who genuinely care about limiting executive power and enforcing constitutional constraints, these tariffs present a moment of truth.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The documentation required by each state also varies, and ID seekers discussing the REAL ID process online have commented on hurdles for people who have had name changes or other inconsistencies in their documentation.—
CNN.com,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Join 80 others in the comments View Comments The documentation required by each state also varies, and ID seekers discussing the REAL ID process online have commented on hurdles for people who have had name changes or other inconsistencies in their documentation.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
On a team in need of offense, Grimes answered the bell as a top scorer in the month of March, tying Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards for 11th in scoring at 26.6 points per game.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Natural gas is often closely tied to oil drilling as both resources are commonly found together in hydrocarbon reservoirs.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetter. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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