CONSTRAINED Synonyms: 195 Similar and Opposite Words

constrained 1 of 2

adjective

as in restrained

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constrained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of constrain

as in compelled

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure constrained by conscience to tell only the truth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controlled

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) constrained his anger at the needless interruption

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of constrained

Adjective

The skills that defined the role, from customer understanding and feature prioritization to roadmap negotiation, were shaped by constrained capacity. — Pallavi Mahajan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Every year lost to delay is another year of constrained growth, postponed industrial investment, and missed economic opportunity that severely impacts current and future competitiveness. — Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026 Vessels need to be extraordinarily careful navigating such constrained channels. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 Dell’s higher 2027 revenue guidance was the result of greater demand for DRAM and NAND chips, combined with constrained supply, said Katherine Murphy at Goldman Sachs. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 1 June 2026

Verb

In 2020, the maze was constrained by capital, headcount, and the cost of discovering whether an idea was any good. — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Even if more crude becomes available, ExxonMobil and Chevron said gasoline and diesel prices will likely remain elevated because global refining capacity remains constrained, limiting relief for consumers. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 2 Aug. 2026 As satisfying as the simulation is, the real-world challenge of space debris removal is both more constrained and more urgent. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026 With global supplies constrained, prices for Brent crude, the international standard, soared from about $70 to above $100 a barrel for much of March, April and May, and at one point reached $126. — Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 31 July 2026 But on the whole, rather than a dramatic departure, petal feels fairly constrained and, occasionally, like a tame reimagining of her older work. — Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026 In a seller’s market, however, he might be constrained by a dearth of prospect capital and some reluctance to trade from the back of his big-league bullpen. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 26 July 2026 The total addressable market, while large, is finite — and international sales are likely to be constrained by the understandable preference for local vendors wherever national security is concerned. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 24 July 2026 Many of the students who received those bikes were Black kids who’d been made to grow up too fast, who’d been constrained by circumstances their whole lives. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrained

Adjective

There’s a smooth clarity to most of these songs, which grants different textures and dimensions to even Lyseight’s most restrained beats.

— Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
Promotional stills, tour visuals and social content have followed the same restrained palette of black, white and grey, with color largely absent from official imagery.

— Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of restrained

Verb

Its infrared search and track data fed directly into an onboard AI agent that controlled the X-62A and guided it into tactical intercept positions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Every woman, child, and man alive was out here grinding all day every day except on Lincoln’s Birthday in death-trap packing plants controlled by a five-man syndicate called the Beef Trust.

— Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of controlled

Verb

While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Just as Treasury is likely forced back toward longer-term bonds, the Fed under new Chair Kevin Warsh is moving to shrink its own balance sheet.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of forced

Adjective

Nordic noir suggests the presence of violence and hatred beneath the tranquillity and order of the Scandinavian welfare state, just as Southern noir peels back hospitality and charm to reveal repressed family secrets and moral decay.

— Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
In fact, this is where our motivations become personal and perhaps even slightly irritating, especially if repressed emotions or sensitivities rise to the surface.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of repressed

Verb

Advocates who filed the lawsuit are concerned that people with disabilities will be steered toward or coerced into using this option.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026
Majorities of Americans are worried about election officials being coerced, lax ballot security, and voter intimidation leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, according to new polling from Gallup.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of coerced

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“Constrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrained. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of constrained

adjective

verb

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