1. (v. t.) To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or confine; to hold tightly; to constringe.

2. (v. t.) To bring into a narrow compass; to compress.

3. (v. t.) To hold back by force; to restrain; to repress.

4. (v. t.) To compel; to force; to necessitate; to oblige.

5. (v. t.) To violate; to ravish.

6. (v. t.) To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effect; as, a constrained voice.

abate abridge abstain aggrieve allay alleviate arrest assuage attemper ban bank the fire bar bastille bear bind bit blunt bottle up box up bridle cage cause cause to chasten check cloister coerce compel concuss confine contain control cool cool off coop coop in coop up cork up crib crowd crush curb curtail damp dampen de-emphasize deaden decelerate deprive detain dictate diminish disallow dompt downplay drive dull encage enclose enforce enjoin extenuate fence in force govern grieve guard have hem in hinder hold hold at bay hold back hold down hold fast hold in hold in check hold in custody hold in leash hold in restraint hold up hurt immure impel impound incarcerate inhibit injure insist upon intern jail jam jug keep keep back keep from keep in keep in check keep in custody keep in detention keep under control keep within bounds lay lay under restraint lenify lessen lighten make mew mew up mitigate moderate modulate necessitate oblige obtund pain palliate pen pen up play down pound prison prohibit pull pull in push quod rail in reduce reduce the temperature refrain rein rein in restrain restrict retard retrench seal up set back shackle shotgun shut in shut up slacken slow down smother snub sober sober down soften squab squash squeeze squish stifle straiten subdue suppress tame temper tie tone down tune down underplay use force upon wall in weaken withhold