bemuzzle

/bɪˈmʌzəl/
verb
  1. To put a muzzle on (an animal).
    • The vet had to bemuzzle the frightened dog before treating its injured paw.
    • In some countries, owners must bemuzzle certain breeds of dogs in public places.
    • She carefully bemuzzled the horse to prevent it from biting during the examination.
  2. To silence or restrain (a person or group) from speaking or expressing opinions.
    • Critics accused the company of trying to bemuzzle whistleblowers with legal threats.
    • The dictator tried to bemuzzle the press by passing strict censorship laws.
    • The school's policy seemed designed to bemuzzle student debate on controversial topics.
Antonyms
What does "bemuzzle" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean