restrains

verb

present tense third-person singular of restrain
1
as in regulates
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) the victim's family members were unable to restrain their emotions upon hearing the verdict

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in seizes
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the suspect was restrained and taken to an undisclosed location

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 restrains On that same front, Hoffman’s order restrains the NCAA from enforcing the rule of restitution. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Elsewhere on the canvas, Cassatt restrains herself to match Katherine’s discipline. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 Remarkably, state law also severely restrains cities and counties from setting their own regulations, giving local leaders little sway over local gun policies. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026 The result is an economic model that favors producers, restrains consumers, and floods international markets with supercheap exports, including steel, solar panels, and electric vehicles. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 At certain points in the novel, that distance calcifies and restrains his writing. — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026 And most of the officials agreed that the Fed’s key rate is close to a level that neither stimulates nor restrains the economy. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026 China’s factory deflation eased more than expected in January thanks mostly to a global metals rally, even as weak demand at home restrains a more sustainable turnaround in prices. — Bloomberg, 11 Feb. 2026 According to projections made at the December meeting, that’s only about half a percentage point from the committee consensus on the neutral rate, or one that neither supports nor restrains growth. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrains
  1. regulates
  2. seizes
  3. contains
  4. arrests
  5. keeps
  6. grabs
  7. controls
  8. apprehends
Verb
  • Niacinamide — a multi-functional ingredient that strengthens the skin barrier, regulates oil production, and calms and fades discoloration — is also in the mix.
    — Claudia Fisher, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
  • There’s also research that indicates microplastics cause disruptions to our endocrine system, which regulates our hormones.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of regulates
Verb
  • Obreht is a writer who doesn’t rush into easy patterns of storytelling but seizes control from the jump.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Better, Cretton seizes small moments to put his stamp on this installment.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of seizes
Verb
  • Although the book contains a disclaimer saying some facts were changed, Palal argued that names, hotels and other details changed while the central account did not.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Seed butter contains nutrients naturally found in the whole seed, including protein, fiber, magnesium and other vitamins and minerals.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of contains
Verb
  • Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
  • Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of arrests
Verb
  • That has forced tankers onto longer routes and pushed up insurance costs, tightening the effective supply of vessels even as global trade keeps moving.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The 340-pound ball is just soft enough to bounce lightly over bumpy obstacles, but its slight overpressure keeps it relatively firm.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of keeps
Verb
  • Innanen came up with the idea that, as Anton gets up to leave while Paul Baker and Issa make out, Paul Baker grabs his leg to keep him on the bed.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The trooper grabs the man by his wrist and his dreadlocks and began yanking his upper body through the window, the video shows.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • Listing a token requires continuous, audited disclosure of who controls the supply and how the asset actually works.
    — Michael Faulkender, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Hezbollah is the terrorist group that controls much of Lebanon, which borders Israel.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of controls
Verb
  • John Early, as anyone encountering his work soon apprehends, chooses the latter.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
  • Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of apprehends

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Cite this Entry

“Restrains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrains. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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