束缚
shùfú · HSK 7
tie up
⛓️ 束 (bind, bundle) + 缚 (tie up) = both halves mean restrain, doubling the force
Two near-synonyms stacked: 束 binds like tying a bundle, 缚 means to bind or truss up. Together they mean to fetter or restrain, literal or figurative. The reduplicated sense makes 束缚 stronger than either character alone.
束 — 木 (tree) with 口 wrapped around middle
Pictograph of a bundle: a tree or sticks (木) tied together with a band or rope (depicted by the enclosing 口 in the middle). The original sense was 'to bind' or 'a bundle,' which extended to meanings like 'to restrain,' 'to control,' and the measure word for bundled things.