straitjacket

variants also straightjacket
as in confinement
a jacket that has long arms which can be tied together behind someone's back and that is used to control the movement (as of a violent prisoner or patient) The magician struggled to free his arms from the straitjacket and escape from the tank of water he was submerged in.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 straitjacket This means that the straitjacket of sanctions has been loosened for Kim. Daniel R. Russel, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2018 The undiluted isolationism of his campaign messaging could prove to be a straitjacket that paralyzes the Trump administration’s foreign policy at a critical time. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024 Trump should make clear that Washington will no longer allow the accord to impose a straitjacket on broader U.S. policy in the Middle East. Tzvi Kahn, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2017 Lagrange’s method, despite seeming like a mere mathematical convenience at the time, loosened the straitjacket of Newton’s mechanistic view of the universe as a sequence of falling dominos. Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • Before leaving office, President Joe Biden commuted Peltier’s life sentence to home confinement.
    German Lopez, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The act of clemency permits Peltier, who is 80 and has been in declining health for years, to serve his remaining days in home confinement.
    Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • List of Changes to Starbucks Founded in 1971 in Seattle, Starbucks is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are the major craft chains; Hobby Lobby also has a limited selection of fabrics.
    Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Later, the ladies end up falling into the trap of talking about politics at dinner (been there!).
    Dan Heching, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
  • That dream became a reality four months later when, on February 11, scientists found young salmon in a trap several miles downstream from the egg deposit sites.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The collar is visible in photos showing the release.
    Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2025
  • University of Cambridge Developed by Prof. Luigi Occhipinti and colleagues at the University of Cambridge, the washable garment features an array of graphene strain sensors printed onto its collar.
    Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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