Synonyms for restrain
rɪˈstreɪn

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. restrain, keep, keep back, hold back(verb)

   keep under control; keep in check

   "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool"

   Synonyms:
   intimidate, retain, hold off, throttle, hold back, restrict, hold on, continue, withhold, save, stay fresh, trammel, go along, wait, hold in, stop, encumber, turn back, celebrate, hold open, keep, proceed, cumber, observe, forbear, go on, constrain, hold, conceal, confine, preserve, prevent, arrest, bound, keep open, keep on, maintain, limit, contain, keep back, sustain, check

2. restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle(verb)

   place limits on (extent or access)

   "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends"

   Synonyms:
   spring, strangle, snare, intimidate, rebound, qualify, ricochet, choke, throttle, circumscribe, hold back, fix, trammel, entrap, take a hop, hold in, determine, encumber, define, specify, border, strangulate, keep, reverberate, recoil, cumber, curb, constrain, hold, ensnare, confine, bounce, leap, restrict, jump, bound, curtail, detain, trap, resile, limit, keep back, cut back, set, enclose

3. restrain, confine, hold(verb)

   to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement

   "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom"

   Synonyms:
   accommodate, book, support, intimidate, retain, hold in, throttle, circumscribe, apply, hold back, harbour, defend, take hold, restrict, deem, hold up, arrest, guard, take, have, concord, trammel, check, make, take for, go for, encumber, throw, defy, control, harbor, halt, keep, obligate, cumber, carry, give, adjudge, entertain, nurse, oblige, constrain, curb, hold, moderate, bind, confine, have got, declare, withstand, view as, bound, detain, contain, concur, maintain, limit, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, admit, obtain, enclose, agree, bear

4. restrain, encumber, cumber, constrain(verb)

   hold back

   Synonyms:
   stiffen, restrict, trammel, constrain, keep, hold back, confine, bound, cumber, hold, tighten, encumber, tighten up, keep back, intimidate, limit, throttle

5. intimidate, restrain(verb)

   to compel or deter by or as if by threats

   Synonyms:
   restrict, bound, throttle, keep back, limit, constrain, trammel, hold back, confine, keep, encumber, hold, intimidate, cumber

English Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. restrain

   To restrain is to hold back from acting, proceeding, or advancing, either by physical or moral force. Constrain is positive; restrain is negative; one is constrained to an action; he is restrained from an action. Constrain refers almost exclusively to moral force, restrain frequently to physical force, as when we speak of putting one under restraint. To restrain an action is to hold it partially or wholly in check, so that it is under pressure even while it acts; to restrict an action is to fix a limit or boundary which it may not pass, but within which it is free. To repress, literally to press back, is to hold in check, and perhaps only temporarily, that which is still very active; it is a feebler word than restrain; to suppress is finally and effectually to put down; suppress is a much stronger word than restrain; as, to suppress a rebellion. Compare ARREST; BIND; KEEP.

   Synonyms:
   abridge, bridle, check, circumscribe, confine, constrain, curb, hinder, hold, hold back, hold in, keep, keep back, keep down, keep in, keep under, repress, restrict, suppress, withhold

   Antonyms:
   aid, animate, arouse, emancipate, encourage, excite, free, impel, incite, let loose, release, set free

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. restrain

   Synonyms:
   check, repress, hinder, limit, confine, restrict, withhold, curb, coerce, prohibit, narrow, circumscribe, reduce

   Antonyms:
   promote, advance, urge, incite, aid, liberate, indulge, loose, vent, amplify, enlarge, expand, extend

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. choke back (verb)

   fail to control one’s emotions

   they choked back tears (feelings; anger; disappointment, etc.)

   Submitted by erhnice on July 28, 2019  

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. restrain(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   check, curb, bridle, repress, suppress, withhold, constrain, cramp, interdict, keep, contain, hold back, hold in, keep under

2. restrain(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   hinder, prevent, debar, bar, stop, prohibit

3. restrain(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   limit, confine, restrict, circumscribe

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. restrain(v)

   Synonyms:
   repress, suppress, check, bridle, curb, constrain, abridge, circumscribe, limit, restrict, narrow, withhold, forbear, debar, prevent, interdict, prohibit

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

   restrict, limit, curb, contain

How to pronounce restrain?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say restrain in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use restrain in a sentence?

1. Charlton Heston:

   Celebrity is a corrosive condition for the soul. I have tried to restrain its inroads on me, but there are odd corners of my character that have been harmed

2. Darias Jonker:

   There will still be a significant fightback from the Zuma faction which will restrain Ramaphosa.

3. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

   Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.

4. Cato the Elder:

   I think the first virtue is to restrain the tongue; he approaches nearest to gods who knows how to be silent, even though he is in the right.

5. William Blake:

   Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.

Images & Illustrations of restrain