swaddling clothes
- noun
- /ˈswɒd.lɪŋ kloʊðz/
- Archaic
- Many believe bureaucracy acts as swaddling clothes that stifle new businesses before they can grow.
Examples
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Education sometimes imposes swaddling clothes on creative minds rather than encouraging their independence.
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The poet lamented the swaddling clothes of tradition that constrained innovation in art.
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Don't let swaddling clothes hold you back!
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The swaddling clothes of tradition can hinder progress.
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Many believe bureaucracy acts as swaddling clothes that stifle new businesses before they can grow.
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Education sometimes imposes swaddling clothes on creative minds rather than encouraging their independence.
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The poet lamented the swaddling clothes of tradition that constrained innovation in art.
Synonyms
7
7.5
A situation that greatly limits freedom and progress
Antonyms
How Restrictive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense ('clothes used to swaddle a baby') is directly derivable from 'swaddle' + 'clothes', and the figurative sense (restrictions) follows a clear metaphorical mapping: swaddling limits movement, so 'swaddling clothes' can connote constraints. However, this is a literary/metaphorical extension rather than a standard, fully predictable compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the words may not automatically infer the figurative meaning without exposure.
Etymology
Swaddling clothes comes from the picture of tight swaddling that holds a baby still. Because the wraps stop movement, the phrase now means 'restrictions' or 'limits' that hold someone or something back.