restrained; restraining; restrains
1
a
: to prevent from doing, exhibiting, or expressing something
restrained the child from jumping
b
: to limit, restrict, or keep under control
try to restrain your anger
2
: to moderate or limit the force, effect, development, or full exercise of
restrain trade
3
: to deprive of liberty
especially
: to place under arrest or restraint
restrainer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of restrain in a Sentence
He could not restrain the dog from attacking.
He could restrain himself no longer.
Hospital orderlies needed to restrain the patient.
He was restrained and placed in a holding cell.
He could barely restrain his anger.
The manufacturer took measures to restrain costs.
Recent Examples on the Web
The latter are mostly kept hidden from the viewer, with the action restraining itself to a handful of interiors artfully captured by cinematographer Daniele Ciprì, who employs an array of tableaux-like images recalling the work of Peter Greenaway.
—
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
The overall aesthetic is pared back and restrained so that the environment feels serene and the focus is on the simple but high-quality craftsmanship.
—Steven John, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024
Restraint involves adults physically restraining a student.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 6 Aug. 2024
The secretary of state told his counterparts the U.S. is making efforts to break the escalatory cycle by trying to limit the attacks by Iran and Hezbollah as much as possible and then restrain the Israeli response.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for restrain 
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
The overall aesthetic is pared back and restrained so that the environment feels serene and the focus is on the simple but high-quality craftsmanship.
—Steven John, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024
Restraint involves adults physically restraining a student.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 6 Aug. 2024
The secretary of state told his counterparts the U.S. is making efforts to break the escalatory cycle by trying to limit the attacks by Iran and Hezbollah as much as possible and then restrain the Israeli response.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for restrain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restrain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near restrain
Cite this Entry
“Restrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrain. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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Legal Definition
restrain
transitive verb
re·strain
ri-ˈstrān 
1
a
: to prevent from doing something see also restraining order at order sense 3b
b
: to limit, restrict, or keep under control
2
: to moderate or limit the force, effect, development, or full exercise of
3
: to deprive of liberty and especially of physical movement
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