restrain him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "restrain him" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English
It typically means to limit or control someone's actions or behavior. Example: The security guard had to restrain the angry customer from attacking the cashier.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

We had to restrain him.

The New York Times - Sports

Christian Adams had to restrain him.

The Washington Post

Frank's assistants had to restrain him.

The New York Times

Other men rushed to restrain him.

The Guardian - Opinion

He didn't have pain behavior to restrain him.

The New York Times - Magazine

But Trump's inept White House might restrain him.

The Washington Post

I'm not sure how much longer I can restrain him.

The New York Times

It was a matter of trying to restrain him.

The New York Times

Finally, people stopped looking away, and tried to restrain him.

The Guardian - Opinion

Nothing, not even the murder of Jews, could restrain him.

The Guardian - Opinion

At the end, when his aides tried to restrain him, "It has affected me," he complained.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal writing, pair the phrase with the preposition "from" and a gerund to specify what is being prevented, such as "restrain him from intervening".

Common error

Writers often use "restrain" when "constrain" might be more appropriate. While "restrain him" usually implies a proactive, often physical check on a person, "constrain" is better suited for situations where external forces or rules limit someone's choices.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "restrain him" functions as a transitive verb phrase consisting of the verb "restrain" and the masculine singular pronoun "him" as the direct object. In various contexts analyzed by Ludwig AI, it typically appears in the active voice to denote an agent exerting control over a male subject. It often follows modal verbs like "had to" or "could", indicating necessity or ability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Social Media

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "restrain him" is a robust and grammatically correct verb phrase widely used across high-quality English publications. Data from Ludwig shows that it appears most frequently in News & Media to describe law enforcement actions or sports maneuvers. It serves a versatile communicative purpose, ranging from literal physical containment to figurative behavioral management. Ludwig AI highlights that while the phrase is common, writers should distinguish it from "constrain him" to maintain semantic precision. Overall, it remains a standard choice for expressing the act of limiting someone's agency or movement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hold him back

Uses more informal language often implying physical resistance or emotional prevention.

subdue him

Implies overcoming resistance or bringing someone under complete control after a struggle.

contain him

Suggests preventing someone from causing further damage or escaping a specific area.

curb him

Focuses on checking or limiting behavior or impulses rather than physical movement.

restrict him

Implying the setting of boundaries or limits on freedom or access.

constrain him

Often used in situational or legal contexts to describe limitations imposed by circumstances.

rein him in

An idiomatic expression derived from horse riding, meaning to exert control over excessive behavior.

keep him in check

Suggests an ongoing process of monitoring and controlling someone's potential actions.

immobilize him

Strictly refers to making it impossible for the person to move physically.

shackle him

A very literal and forceful term implying the use of physical bonds like chains.

FAQs

How to use "restrain him" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe physical or metaphorical control, such as: "The officers had to "restrain him" to ensure the safety of the crowd".

What can I say instead of "restrain him"?

Depending on the intensity, you can use alternatives like "hold him back", "subdue him" or "curb him".

What is the difference between "restrain him" and "constrain him"?

To "restrain him" usually implies a physical or active intervention to stop an action, while to "constrain him" often refers to being limited by external requirements, laws or social pressures.

Is it "restrain him to" or "restrain him from"?

The most common and correct preposition is "from" when indicating the action being stopped, for example: "to "restrain him from leaving"".