CONFINING Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

confining

verb

present participle of confine

as in limiting

to set bounds or an upper limit for will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in imprisoning

to put in or as if in prison the accused was confined until the trial could take place

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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 confining Luck was not widespread among Wednesday’s Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 and Powerball drawings, confining itself to a single ticket. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 If youth teams practiced like the pros, confining full contact to once a week, impacts could fall by more than half, Daneshvar says. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026 If acquitted for lack of criminal responsibility, Clancy would then face a potentially indefinite series of commitment orders confining her to a secure state mental health facility. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 In schools, isolating or confining children is known as seclusion and restraint. — Beth Hawkins, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2026 Frustrated with the confining nature of Japanese society, Kusama left for New York in 1957. — Kaori Kaneko, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 With Rear Window, Hitchcock and his collaborators miraculously craft an exhilarating, satisfying mystery-thriller while confining the protagonist to a single location. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 The judge will then determine whether the dogs should be legally designated as dangerous, which could result in strict requirements for confining the dogs or even in dogs being euthanized. — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 For much of our history, few options existed between mass institutionalization in expensive and confining facilities on one end of the spectrum, and fully independent living absent any supports on the other end of the spectrum. — Barbara Merrill, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confining

Verb

Defects introduced during those steps can disrupt the electronic processes needed for efficient light emission, potentially limiting a material’s performance even when its underlying crystal structure is favorable.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
In other words, having a semi-capable infrastructure or limiting what data is available to the AI could cripple your chances.

— Ozan Ozerk, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

The country’s remaining detention facilities are severely overcrowded while concerns have been raised about imprisoning gang members in parts of the country not currently under gang control.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Ilham Aliyev continued his father’s dictatorial legacy, imprisoning his critics and enriching his family and cronies, while polishing his country’s image by hosting Formula One events and the Eurovision Song Contest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Definition of imprisoning

Verb

The archaic legal restrictions restricting same-sex couples or unmarried women, for example, are acknowledged and adhered to, rather than being openly challenged or criticized.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
This may include repairing or repositioning a sprinkler, changing the irrigation schedule, removing standing water, posting warning signs, or temporarily restricting access to an affected area.

— Christyne D. Santisteban, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of restricting

Verb

Some Alvernia students are already interning with federal agencies and completing work that requires secret security clearances.

— Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
High school students interning at an observatory in Hawaii have successfully imaged a pair of colliding spiral galaxies located deep within overlapping cultural constellations.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of interning

Verb

Demolishing universities, assaulting the press, violently resegregating the public sphere, ramming degenerative AI down our throats, incarcerating mere zine makers, the regime is systematically repealing the right to culture.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The goal is to reduce violence, get people proper resources, and avoid the cycle of incarcerating people dealing with poverty, addiction, and mental health.

— Scott Maucione, NPR, 27 July 2026

Definition of incarcerating

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confines

confining

confirm

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“Confining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confining. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of confining

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