EN

Synonyms for confine

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

restrict cramp chain trammel restrain circumscribe incarcerate enclose

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Restrict

restrict, cramp, chain, trammel, throttle, manacle, fetter, shackle

2. Restrain

restrain, circumscribe, constrain, hold, stint, straiten

3. Incarcerate — to restrict (someone or something) to a particular scope or area; to keep in or within certain bounds

incarcerate, pen, hem in

4. Enclose

enclose, hold in

Other

detain, imprison, close, narrow, shut, cage, shut-up, contract, impound, crib, immure, bastille

Noun

1. Limit — A boundary or limit

limit, bound, border

Other

term, boundary, lock, verge, shut-in, frontier, margin, pale, bourne, rim, co-op, mete

Antonyms

liberate, free, release

All antonyms of confine →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To restrict (someone or something) to a particular scope or area; to keep in or within certain bounds.

  2. n. 1

    A boundary or limit.

Forms

Plural
confines → limits, bounds, borders, terms…
Past participle
confined
e.g. confined → restricted, cramped, chained, trammeled…

Example sentences

  • restrict He feels this new law will restrict his freedom.
  • restrain We tried to restrain him from his reckless action.
  • incarcerate If we incarcerate these old men, we can take control.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
confinefalling
restrictsteady
trammelfalling
manaclerising
restrainfalling
circumscribesteady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
pen1, rim1
4 letters
hold1, term1, shut1, lock1, cage1, pale1, crib1, mete1
5 letters
close1, chain1, limit2, bound1, verge1, stint1, cramp1
6 letters
border2, narrow2, margin2, bourne1, detain2, fetter2, immure
7 letters
enclose2, shackle2, impound2, trammel2, manacle
8 letters
contract2, boundary3, frontier2, restrict2, throttle2, restrain2, bastille2, imprison3, straiten
9 letters
constrain2
11 letters
incarcerate4
12 letters
circumscribe3

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (limit2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
confiner