straitjacket

[streyt-jak-it] / ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk ɪt /

NOUN

restraint

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ban constraint curb embargo limit prohibition reduction restriction

STRONG

abridgment arrest bar barrier bondage bridle captivity chains check command confinement cramp decrease deprivation detention determent deterrence fetters hindrance impediment imprisonment instruction interdict manacles obstacle obstruction order pinions rein repression rope stop stoppage string taboo weight

Antonyms

STRONGEST

allowance enlargement permission

STRONG

advantage aid assistance beginning continuation encouragement expansion freedom go help independence indulgence liberation liberty license promotion release start support

WEAK

agitation arousal wildness

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.

For all its aspiration of freedom, it is a straitjacket that cannot be removed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It makes the whole project less overwhelming — more a compass than a straitjacket.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2025

The text becomes a straitjacket for a princely son who doesn’t seem accustomed to Shakespearean rigors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

In dressing rooms, a size-XS shirt would go over my head instead of entrapping me like a straitjacket.

From Slate • Jul. 20, 2024

She struggled against the straitjacket, glared at me in frustration, and snapped, Well, Seaweed Brain?

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan