shackle
Americannoun
-
a ring or other fastening, as of iron, for securing the wrist, ankle, etc.; fetter.
-
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
-
the U -shaped bar of a padlock, one end of which is pivoted or sliding, the other end of which can be released, as for passing through a staple, and then fastened, as for securing a hasp.
-
any of various fastening or coupling devices.
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Often shackles. anything that serves to prevent freedom of procedure, thought, etc.
- Synonyms:
- encumbrance, impediment, obstruction, obstacle
verb (used with object)
-
shackles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shackled,
past participle, past
-
shackling
present participle
-
to put a shackle or shackles on; confine or restrain by a shackle or shackles.
-
to fasten or couple with a shackle.
-
to restrain in action, thought, etc., as by restrictions; restrict the freedom of.
noun
-
(often plural) a metal ring or fastening, usually part of a pair used to secure a person's wrists or ankles; fetter
-
(often plural) anything that confines or restricts freedom
-
a rope, tether, or hobble for an animal
-
a U-shaped bracket, the open end of which is closed by a bolt ( shackle pin ), used for securing ropes, chains, etc
verb
-
to confine with or as if with shackles
-
to fasten or connect with a shackle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shacklesimple
-
shacklessimple
-
have shackledperfect
-
has shackledperfect
-
am shacklingprogressive
-
are shacklingprogressive
-
is shacklingprogressive
-
have been shacklingperfect progressive
-
has been shacklingperfect progressive
Past
-
shackledsimple
-
had shackledperfect
-
was shacklingprogressive
-
were shacklingprogressive
-
had been shacklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shackle
before 1000; (noun) Middle English schakle, schakyl ( le ); Old English sceacel fetter; cognate with Low German schakel hobble, Old Norse skǫkull wagon pole, (v.) late Middle English schaklyn, derivative of the noun
Explanation
Handcuffs are shackles. So are those leg irons some prisoners wear when they appear in court. In other words, a shackle is a restraint, either physical or psychological, that restricts movement. We generally think of shackles as some sort of heavy metal cuff that is used to keep prisoners in check. But shackles don't have to be physical. Ignorance can be a shackle, so can an abusive family member, or the economy. In those cases, shackles are an external force that keep you from doing or being everything you want to. You can't see those shackles, but they can be every bit as confining as the metal cuffs.
Vocabulary lists containing shackle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I heard you were calm and even smiled when it was announced—an act of defiance to tell them they might have your body but will never shackle your spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
The lack of it is the shackle on so much within government and beyond: the national mood, taxes, you name it.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025
Senoo’s sons, 8 and 11, have told him they’re interested in eventually running the company, but he’s reluctant to let them shackle themselves to such an uncertain future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
"This is a chemical shackle on generations of children that are going to be born into these communities if you don't clean up this lead."
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2023
The deputies didn't handcuff Walter or shackle him, so he walked into court waving to family and friends.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
If he can match that form across the 2026-27 season - and if Arsenal can take the shackles off with the tension gone after ending their title drought - he may be a contender.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Whether they are girls or boys, I hope they can break free from the shackles of gender and do what they truly want to do."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
On June 24, Serrano was put on a plane in shackles and flown from Miami to Caracas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
In response to questions from ProPublica, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement that despite the shackles, Garcia Venegas was “NOT detained.”
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
He was half reclined and it wasn’t long before he had drunk himself back into his deep slumber, trusting in the shackles and the sleeping forms of young people for his sense of security.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Even those atas who try to break away often find themselves shackled to their old masters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
On May 10 in a Damascus courtroom, Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, sat shackled in a metal cage dressed in a drab striped prison uniform.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Here, his mournful ex-convict is finally tasting freedom in a country that wants to keep him metaphorically shackled.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
She also had the opportunity to see him from a distance at each of the court hearings, shackled at the feet and hands, with chains around his waist.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
At the opposite end of the bridge, Francis Gary Powers was shackled to two East German guards and accompanied by a Soviet colonel.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Timber is relishing the challenge of shackling Kane on the former Tottenham star's return to north London.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
Really, Song wants to know whether a sensible girl can justify shackling herself to a broke creative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025
So what can be done to decrease money disruptions, help individuals be free from these shackling feelings of shame and improve their overall financial wellness?
From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2025
State courts had agreed that shackling Ervine Davenport at his trial violated his rights but said the error was harmless because it did not affect the verdict in his case.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
I looked at the door where the sheriff was shackling her husband.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
