Let's shackle your feet with silver fetters.
Source: tatoeba (416844)
Shackle
/ˈʃækl̩/
Synonyms for "shackle" (211 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (43)
Strong matches (63)
Related words (105)
holdbackhopplehopplesimmureimpedeimpedimentimpoundinhibitinvolveironironskeepkeep inkeep in custodykeep in detentionlamelashleading stringsleashlime
Show 68 more words
limitlumbermake fastmanaclemartingalemewmew upmoormuzzlenetobstacleobstructionoregon boatpegpeg downpelhampenpen uppicketpillorypin downpinionpoundpress downput in ironsrailrail inreinreinsremorarestrainrestraintrestraintsrestrictrestrictionropesaddle withscotchsea anchorseal upsecureshacklesshut inshut upsnafflesnarlspokestaystocksstopstraightjacketstrait-waistcoatstraitjacketstrangleholdstraptangletethertietie downtie uptoiltrammeltrammelstrusstyrannizewall inweigh downyoke
Verb(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: anchor, anchor, arrest, bar, barrier.
- Sentence evidence is available for shackle, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, wordnet, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "shackle".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "shackle"
Keep "shackle" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "shackle" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "shackle", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "shackle" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
8 entriesCollocations
11 entriesheavy shackleiron shackleleg shacklerusty shackleshackle anklesshackle freedomshackle policyshackle prisonersshackle with chainsshackle wristswrist shackle
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 36 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- pranga noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- πέδη noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Arabic
2 entries- غِلّ noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- قَيْد noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Bulgarian
1 entries- окови noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Catalan
2 entries- grillons noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- grilló noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 手銬 /手铐 noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Danish
1 entries- jern noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Dutch
1 entries- boeien noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Esperanto
1 entries- mankateno noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Finnish
2 entries- kahle noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- kahleet noun (restraint on one’s action, etc. — see also restraint)
French
3 entries- entrave noun (restraint on one’s action, etc. — see also restraint)
- fers noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- menottes noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Galician
4 entries- braga noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- ferropea noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- ferros noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- grilón noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
German
2 entries- Fessel noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- Handschellen noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹 noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Hebrew
1 entries- אֲזִקִּים noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Hungarian
2 entries- bilincs noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- béklyó noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Interlingua
2 entries- ferros noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- manica noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Irish
1 entries- iarnach noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Italian
4 entries- ceppi noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- ceppo noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- ferri noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- maniglia noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Japanese
1 entries- 手錠 noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Korean
1 entries- 수갑 noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Latin
1 entries- vincula noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Macedonian
2 entries- оков noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- пранга noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Malayalam
1 entries- വിലങ്ങ് noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Norwegian
1 entries- jern noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Old English
1 entries- cosp noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Spaunsel noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Polish
1 entries- kajdany noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Portuguese
4 entries- algema noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- ferros noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- grilhetas noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- grilhão noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Russian
4 entries- кандалы́ noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- нару́чники noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- око́вы noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- путы noun (restraint on one’s action, etc. — see also restraint)
Spanish
2 entries- grillete noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- grillos noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Swedish
1 entries- boja noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Telugu
2 entries- బంధనాలు noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- సంకెళ్ళు noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Turkish
2 entries- kelepçe noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- pranga noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Ukrainian
4 entries- кайда́ни noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- пу́та noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- пу́та noun (restraint on one’s action, etc. — see also restraint)
- пу́то noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Vietnamese
3 entries- xiềng noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- xiềng xích noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
- xích noun (restraint fitted over an appendage)
Sample sentences
34 total sentences available.
You cannot shackle the BDSM community and beat it into submission.
Source: tatoeba (8786902)
I bought a shackle for the cow.
Source: tatoeba (10480639)
Labor advocates call it debt bondage, a prime example of modern-day slavery that can shackle workers to abusive employers for years while they pay off their debts.
Source: tatoeba (11126603)
Showing 4 of 34 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "shackle"?
Closest matches include anchor, anchor, arrest, bar, barrier.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "shackle"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.