CHAINS Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

chains 1 of 2

noun

plural of chain

as in sequences

a series of things linked together the chain of events that led the American colonies to seek independence from Great Britain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in obstacles

something that makes movement or progress difficult this community will grow and prosper only after it has thrown off the chains of ignorance and prejudice

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in handcuffs

something that physically prevents free movement chains on the prisoner's ankles

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chains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chain

as in binds

to confine or restrain with or as if with chains chaining up the dog in the backyard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strings

to put or bring together so as to form a new and longer whole the prosecutor meticulously and brilliantly chained all the evidence together in his closing argument

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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 chains

Noun

The protection of American jobs justified the chains of bondage, or so the argument went. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images For many fast-food chains, beverages have become a critical way to attract consumers. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Participating exhibitors include Regal, AMC, Cinemark, select theater chains and independent cinemas. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Giant, one of the area's largest grocery store chains, posted a notice saying its website and mobile app were unavailable. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Last year, union members helped push for an ordinance in Long Beach that requires grocery chains to increase the number of employees relative to self-checkout stands. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 This is critical for building up the long chains found in proteins. — ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 Contract pharmacies grew from roughly 1,300 in 2010 to more than 31,000 by mid-2026, dominated by the largest chains. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Can Bucky Irving keep the chains moving, so the Buccaneers can control the football? — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Verb

Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week. — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review. — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026 Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025 Texas Roadhouse, which also operates casual dining chains Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers, is expected to report third-quarter results at the end of October. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chains

Noun

Harris also helped shape the movie’s imagination sequences, pushing Pixar’s artists toward more spontaneous, painterly images rather than the studio’s usual meticulous realism.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
This is one shape of [a] research project of systematizing and scaling up searching for useful new tools in large databases and DNA sequences.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sequences

Noun

Furthermore, the whiskers are in front, preventing the drone from detecting sideways obstacles like random jagged branches in a forest.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
The legal and political obstacles to taking custody of those assets for onward transfer to Ukraine may be too formidable to resolve in time to help Kyiv in the coming year.

— Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Noun

Officers arrived and found Gonzalez in handcuffs with a gunshot wound to his midsection, the department said in a statement last week.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
On Tuesday, Davis appeared in court shackled in handcuffs and wearing a navy blue prison uniform.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of handcuffs

Verb

Also, a decision by a federal appeals court binds federal district courts within its jurisdiction—here, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming—and serves as influential precedent elsewhere.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Because microorganisms in water turn regular mercury into methylmercury, a toxic chemical form that binds tightly to fish tissue, the heavy metal accumulates to higher levels in aquatic animals.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of binds

Verb

Antinous attempts to shrug off the token’s return, but seemingly recognizes it, and realizes in full that Odysseus has returned for revenge when the man strings his bow.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
From Key Largo to Key West, the Overseas Highway strings the islands together like beads, running past lighthouses, underwater coral reef parks, and across the postcard-worthy Seven Mile Bridge.

— Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026

Definition of strings

Noun

The motif appears in necklaces with interlocking links, substantial bracelets, earrings, and rings, each playing with the shape's elegant proportions.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
Bee bracelets are equipped with artificial intelligence and microphones that can record, transcribe and analyze conversations.

— Annie Palmer, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026