bind
bind — verb
1. to wrap rope, string, or a similar material around something or someone so that
to wrap rope, string, or a similar material around something or someone so that it stays firmly in place or cannot move.
The kidnappers bound Sami to a wooden chair with thick rope.
bind + object + to + noun + with + material
Ancient sailors bound the broken mast with strips of leather.
bind + object + with + material
Wairimu carefully bound the bundle of dry sticks with garden twine.
The prisoners' wrists were bound behind their backs.
passive: be bound
Anya bound the loose pages together with a piece of red string.
- bind tightly
- bind firmly
- bind together
- bind with rope
- bind hand and foot
Grammar Patterns
bind + object
bind + object + with + noun
bind + object + to + noun
Usage Note
Subject is usually a person; object is something or someone that needs to be held still. Frequently passive in news or formal writing about crimes or accidents.
Common Mistakes
2. to wrap cloth or a bandage around a wound or an injured arm, leg, or other body
to wrap cloth or a bandage around a wound or an injured arm, leg, or other body area to protect or support it.
The nurse gently bound Camille's twisted ankle with a clean white bandage.
bind + injured body part + with + cloth
After the accident, Viraj bound her cut hand with a torn shirt.
The soldier bound his bleeding arm and kept walking toward the camp.
The physiotherapist bound Yuki's sprained wrist tightly to keep the joint still.
bind + somebody's + injured body part + tightly
The doctor bound the boy's head where the stone had hit him.
- bind a wound
- bind an injury
- bind a cut
- bind tightly
Grammar Patterns
bind + body part
bind + body part + with + noun
Usage Note
Object is always a wounded or injured body part, or the dressing itself. Distinguish from sense 1: here the purpose is medical care, not restraint.
Common Mistakes
3. to attach a thin strip of cloth, leather, or similar material along the edge of
to attach a thin strip of cloth, leather, or similar material along the edge of clothing or fabric so that the edge looks neat or lasts longer.
The tailor bound the jacket cuffs with soft black velvet.
bind + object (clothing edge) + with + material
Her grandmother bound the quilt edges with bright yellow ribbon.
The collar of the coat was bound in fine red silk.
passive: be bound in + material
Amara bound the hem of the skirt to stop it from fraying.
- bind the edges
- bind the hem
- bind with ribbon
- bind in leather
Grammar Patterns
bind + object + with + material
bind + object + in + material
Usage Note
Object is normally an edge, hem, cuff, or border of fabric or leather goods. Common in sewing, tailoring, and craft contexts; sounds technical in everyday speech.
4. to join loose sheets of paper along one edge and add a cover so that they form a
to join loose sheets of paper along one edge and add a cover so that they form a finished book.
The old workshop in Florence still binds books by hand.
bind + object (loose pages → book)
Sami had his thesis bound in dark green leather as a gift to himself.
have + object + bound (causative)
These ancient manuscripts were bound with wooden boards and brass clasps.
passive: be bound with + material
The print shop on the corner can bind your photo album in one hour.
- bind a book
- bind a thesis
- bind in leather
- bind by hand
- leather-bound
- hand-bound
Grammar Patterns
bind + object
bind + object + in + material
Usage Note
Often used in the passive or with 'have something bound'. Subject is usually a workshop, shop, or craftsperson; object is a book, manuscript, or report.
Common Mistakes
5. in cooking and similar processes, to make small bits of food join into one solid
in cooking and similar processes, to make small bits of food join into one solid lump, or for the bits to join in this way themselves.
Add one beaten egg to bind the meatballs before you fry them.
bind + object (food mixture) — cooking context
A spoonful of cold water helps bind the pastry into a smooth dough.
The mixture will not bind unless you add a little melted butter.
intransitive: subject + binds
Wairimu stirred the rice until the grains began to bind together.
intransitive: bind + together
Use breadcrumbs to bind the fish cakes so they keep their shape.
- bind the mixture
- bind the dough
- bind the ingredients
- bind together
- hold together
phrasal and more common in casual recipe talk
- stick
everyday word; bind is preferred in printed recipes
- set
emphasises becoming firm rather than joining
Grammar Patterns
bind + object
bind + object + together
object + binds (intransitive)
Usage Note
Frequently transitive with cooking ingredients (egg, flour, water) as the subject. The intransitive form describes the food itself coming together. Distinguish from sense 6: here the joining is physical and mechanical, not chemical.
6. in chemistry or biology, when one substance joins to another through a chemical
in chemistry or biology, when one substance joins to another through a chemical bond, or when something causes that join to happen.
Iron atoms bind to oxygen to form rust on the metal surface.
bind + to + noun (chemistry pattern)
The drug binds with a specific protein inside the cell.
bind + with + noun
Hemoglobin in red blood cells binds oxygen and carries it through the body.
transitive: bind + object
These antibodies bind tightly to the virus and stop it from spreading.
bind tightly + to + noun
The new molecule was designed to bind with cancer cells only.
- bind to a receptor
- bind to a protein
- bind tightly
- bind chemically
- bind with oxygen
Grammar Patterns
bind + to + noun
bind + with + noun
bind + object
Usage Note
Most common in scientific writing. Object or prepositional phrase names the partner substance. Distinguish from sense 5: here the joining is at the level of atoms or molecules, not visible bits of food.
7. to bring people closer by giving them a strong shared feeling, loyalty, or exper
to bring people closer by giving them a strong shared feeling, loyalty, or experience that links them as a group.
Years of training together had bound the swim team into a tight family.
bind + group + together for shared loyalty
Grief over the flood bound the small village in a way no festival ever could.
shared experience binding a community
Sami felt that a deep loyalty bound him to his old school friends.
bind + somebody + to + somebody for emotional ties
What binds these poets is a love for the mountains of northern Taiwan.
The promise the children made under the old oak tree bound them for life.
- bind together
- bind a community
- bind a family
- what binds us
- unite
more general; can be by force or agreement, not only emotion
- connect
weaker; just a link, not the strong shared feeling
- draw together
phrasal; emphasises the process more than the lasting tie
Grammar Patterns
bind + somebody + together
bind + somebody + to + somebody
Usage Note
Subject is usually an abstract experience (grief, loyalty, hardship, a memory) rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 8 (OBLIGE), where the subject is typically a contract or duty.
Common Mistakes
8. to place someone under a promise, contract, or rule that they must keep, so they
to place someone under a promise, contract, or rule that they must keep, so they no longer have a free choice about doing the thing.
The contract binds Wairimu to deliver the paintings before the New Year.
bind + somebody + to + infinitive in legal context
By signing the form, Camille was bound to repay the loan within five years.
passive: be bound to + infinitive
The treaty binds both governments to share weather data every month.
subject is a treaty/contract
Doctors are bound by an oath to treat any patient who arrives in danger.
be bound by + oath/rule
Her promise to her late father bound her to keep the family farm running.
- bind by contract
- bound by oath
- legally bind
- bind to an agreement
Grammar Patterns
bind + somebody + to + do something
be bound by + agreement
Usage Note
Frequently passive ('be bound to', 'be bound by'). Subject is usually a contract, oath, treaty, or promise — not a person giving an order. Distinguish from sense 9 (RESTRICT), which is about limiting what someone can do rather than committing them to do something.
Common Mistakes
9. to stop someone from acting freely by holding them to strict rules, laws, or con
to stop someone from acting freely by holding them to strict rules, laws, or conditions that limit their choices.
Old village rules still bind the women here from owning land in their own name.
bind + somebody + from + gerund
Amara felt bound by her job's strict dress code every single morning.
passive: be bound by + rules
The judge's order binds the company to a single supplier for two years.
legal restriction with named time frame
Tradition bound the young prince more tightly than any rope around his wrists.
Many small farmers feel bound by old debts they can never fully pay off.
- bound by tradition
- bound by law
- bound by rules
- bind the hands of
Grammar Patterns
bind + somebody + with/by + rules
Usage Note
Often passive ('be bound by'). The thing doing the binding is a rule, law, custom, or condition — not a physical rope (that's sense 1). Distinguish from sense 8 (OBLIGE): sense 8 forces you to do something; sense 9 stops you from doing what you want.
Common Mistakes
10. to wrap your chest with tight cloth or a special garment so that your breasts lo
to wrap your chest with tight cloth or a special garment so that your breasts look flat under your clothes.
Before heading to school, Alex carefully bound their chest with a soft cotton band.
bind + (one's) chest with + material
The nurse warned River not to bind for more than eight hours at a time.
intransitive use: 'to bind' alone
Many trans teens save for months to buy a real binder instead of binding with bandages.
Sam learned to bind safely after watching a video by a community nurse.
- bind one's chest
- bind safely
- bind with a binder
- how long to bind
Grammar Patterns
bind + (one's) chest
Usage Note
Used mainly in trans and non-binary contexts. The object, when present, is usually 'chest' (preferred) rather than 'breasts'. Often intransitive ('how long do you bind?'). Distinguish from sense 1 (TIE), which is about tying any object with rope or string.
Common Mistakes
bind off
phrasal verbin knitting, to finish the last row of stitches so that the work does not unravel.
Viraj bound off the last row and held up the finished baby blanket.
Remember to bind off loosely so the edge of the scarf still stretches.
bind over
phrasal verbin law, when a court orders someone to keep good behaviour for a period of time, or to appear in court again later.
The judge bound the young driver over to keep the peace for one year.
Camille was bound over for trial after the first hearing.
bind up
phrasal verbto wrap something tightly, especially a wound or a group of objects, with cloth or string.
The farmer bound up the cut on the horse's leg with a strip of cotton.
Wairimu bound up the old letters with a faded blue ribbon.
to limit someone's freedom so completely that they cannot do anything they want to do.
The new contract bound the small farmers hand and foot to one supplier.
Strict company rules bound Amara hand and foot whenever she tried to help her clients.
To tie a person's hands and feet so they cannot move or get away.
The robbers bound the guard hand and foot before escaping.
Did the kidnappers tie the victim hand and foot?
bind — noun
1. an awkward problem or tight spot where your choices are blocked, so you cannot e
an awkward problem or tight spot where your choices are blocked, so you cannot easily do what you want or need to do.
Viraj was in a real bind after she lost her wallet at the airport on Sunday night.
collocation: be in a (real) bind
The sudden rent increase put the Chen family in a bind for several months.
pattern: put someone in a bind
Sami found himself in a bind when both his sisters needed the car on Friday.
informal register: 'in a bind'
Calling in sick would have left the small bakery in a serious bind that morning.
Could you lend me twenty dollars until Tuesday? I'm in a bit of a bind.
softener: 'a bit of a bind'
- in a bind
- in a real bind
- in a bit of a bind
- put someone in a bind
- leave someone in a bind
- financial bind
- scheduling bind
- predicament
more formal; emphasises a difficult choice
- fix
informal, very close in meaning; slightly less urgent feel
- jam
informal; often suggests trouble of one's own making
- tight spot
informal; stresses lack of room to manoeuvre
Grammar Patterns
be in a bind
put someone in a bind
Usage Note
Almost always appears as 'in a bind' or 'put someone in a bind'. Rarely used as a bare noun without 'a' or a determiner, and seldom appears in plural.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
These verbs all describe holding something in place, but the choice depends on the tool, the formality, and the tightness implied. 'Tie' is the everyday word — you tie a shoelace, a knot, or a parcel — and assumes a flexible material like string or rope. 'Bind' carries a more formal or literary tone and often suggests wrapping many turns of material around a person, body part, or bundle so that movement is fully blocked; it is common in news writing about crime or in older texts. 'Fasten' is the most general — it covers buttons, clips, hooks, and zips, not only rope. 'Lash' is narrower and more vivid: ropes pulled hard, often onto a fixed object such as a mast or post. 'Secure' focuses on the safety result rather than the action. Compare: 'She tied her hair back', 'The kidnappers bound him to a chair', and 'Sailors lashed the cargo to the deck'.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb comes from Old English 'bindan', meaning to tie or fasten with a cord, with cousins in nearly every Germanic language (Old Norse 'binda', Gothic 'bindan', German 'binden'). The deeper root is the Proto-Indo-European base 'bhendh-', which also gave Latin 'offendix' (a knot) and Sanskrit 'bandhati' (he ties). From the literal sense of tying with rope, English extended the verb in many directions: wrapping a wound, attaching covers to a book, holding a person to a promise, and joining atoms in chemistry. The informal noun 'a bind' meaning a tight spot grew out of the same image — being tied up so you cannot move freely.