constrict

[ kuhn-strikt ]

See synonyms for: constrict constricted constricting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress.
to slow or stop the natural course or development of: Greed and aggressiveness constricted the nation's cultural life.

Origin of constrict

1375–1425 for earlier past participle sense; 1725–35 for current senses; late Middle English <Latin constrīctus (past participle of constringere to draw together, tie up), equivalent to con-con- + strīc- (variant stem of stringere to tie; see strict) + -tus past participle suffix

Other words for constrict

1	cramp, squeeze, bind, tighten

See synonyms for constrict on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for constrict

expand

See antonyms for constrict on Thesaurus.com

Other words from constrict

non·con·strict·ed, adjective
non·con·strict·ing, adjective
un·con·strict·ed, adjective
well-con·strict·ed, adjective

Words Nearby constrict

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use constrict in a sentence

Leaving your noggin exposed can further constrict your body’s blood flow.
Best winter hats: Comfortable hats to keep you warm | Carsen Joenk | January 20, 2021 | Popular-Science
It faced a coronavirus-induced layoffs of 13 employees —about half of its staff — driven by abruptly constricted advertising budgets.
One year in, Protocol is starting to move on its global expansion plans | Kayleigh Barber | January 11, 2021 | Digiday
The already crimped TV advertising market further constricted in the past month, though that tightness could slacken as the fourth quarter comes to a close and inventory prices come back down to earth.
‘A front-loaded holiday’: TV ad market tightens even more, but may loosen up soon | Tim Peterson | December 11, 2020 | Digiday
For the red dots, the muscle oxygen data suggests that this subject had a weak response in constricting blood flow to the muscles.
How Does Your Brain Respond When You Hold Your Breath? | Alex Hutchinson | November 25, 2020 | Outside Online
Pointed political debate might get removed, and free expression would be constricted.
Why the most controversial US internet law is worth saving | Amy Nordrum | September 9, 2020 | MIT Technology Review

I had saline mixed with Lidocaine pumped into my face to constrict my blood vessels and numb me so I could endure the zapping.
Hey, Ashley Judd: I’m Puffy From Cosmetic Surgery—And Proud of It | Samantha Marshall | April 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
It twines round the stems of lofty trees, which its flattened coils gradually constrict with almost life-like cruelty!
Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume I | Karl Ritter von Scherzer
By virtue of this power they are enabled to constrict many dead animal matters.
The Action of Medicines in the System | Frederick William Headland
Cartilaginous or partially calcified biconcave vertebrae are always well developed; they constrict the notochord intervertebrally.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
Biconcave cartilaginous vertebrae are developed, and as is the case in most fishes, constrict the notochord vertebrally.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
(b.) Those in which he tries to constrict it, by reuniting its separated sides.
A Manual of the Operations of Surgery | Joseph Bell

British Dictionary definitions for constrict

constrict

/ (kənˈstrɪkt) /

verb(tr)

to make smaller or narrower, esp by contracting at one place
to hold in or inhibit; limit

Origin of constrict

C18: from Latin constrictus compressed, from constringere to tie up together; see constrain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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