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.
-
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
The Poet X
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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
A broken chain and shackle represents freedom from slavery.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2024
Yet motherhood was another choice made for them, and another shackle they cannot escape.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 12, 2023
Unaware or uncaring, Bast leaped toward Chronicler only to be brought up short, as if Kvothe’s hand were a shackle.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
"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
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
Thou art risen to great estate and fortune — release thy shackles.
From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026
In film and television, book clubs are portrayed as a way for women to briefly free themselves from the shackles of domestic responsibility, sticky children, feckless husbands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Before she’d gotten into the bath, Chaol had removed her shackles.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Wearing an orange jail uniform, he was shackled at the wrists and ankles.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Even those atas who try to break away often find themselves shackled to their old masters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
She detailed what it was like to witness her father shackled at the ankles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 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
Captain Smith is still in chains, though they have freed his wrists and only his ankles remain shackled.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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
A retired obstetrician-gynecologist, Fleming is known for authoring and backing legislation related to reproductive healthcare, including a 2022 law that prohibits the shackling of inmates during labor and delivery.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
Twenty-two states, including Texas, now prohibit the shackling of women during active labour and delivery in most circumstances.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2023
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.
