restraints

noun

plural of restraint
as in constraints
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice civil libertarians contend that the new laws place too many restraints on our constitutionally guaranteed rights

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 restraints Exchanges would also need to implement new trading restraints. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The video quickly sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many viewers expressing relief that the ride's safety restraints appeared to do their job despite the frightening ordeal. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Minnesota officials, immigration lawyers and others alleged the conditions within the building were deplorable, citing a surfeit of beds and bathroom facilities, leg restraints for detainees and barriers to accessing legal aid. — Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 Compensation systems, transfer windows and roster rules would become terms of an agreement rather than unilateral restraints. — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 Jean overpowers their restraints and creates a gigantic psychic bubble that freezes in place nearly everyone in New York City. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026 Dealing with her own injuries that left her sidelined or on minute-restraints at the start of the season, Clark took to gardening to relieve stress. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 31 July 2026 Max tells him to put it down, releasing Zack in exchange, then picks up the gun himself, herds all four Bowdens into the kitchen, and makes Natalie bind her parents' wrists with plastic restraints. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026 The Giants have the wherewithal to pay down some of that money to widen the field and involve contenders with greater financial restraints. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraints
  1. constraints
  2. restrictions
  3. limitations
Noun
  • Enterprise Decision Computing turns a business decision – its possible actions, objectives, constraints, uncertainty, interdependencies, and economic consequences – into a computable enterprise object that can be solved and optimized as a whole.
    — Carsten Polenz, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Which is to say quality constraints on what Paramount could conceivably dump into theaters are totally lacking.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of constraints
Noun
  • And why should airport baggage restrictions get in the way of a good travel look?
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Multinational companies that need AI services or cloud infrastructure for their China operations have to work with local providers because of restrictions on foreign providers, according to Fok.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of restrictions
Noun
  • Somaliland is proximate and overcomes some of the limitations imposed by other regional hosts like Djibouti and Middle East partners.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • These limitations can contribute to nostalgia and homesickness during a long mission.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of limitations

Browse Nearby Words

restraint
restraints
restrengthen
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Cite this Entry

“Restraints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restraints. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on restraints

Nglish: Translation of restraints for Spanish Speakers

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