firmly bound; tied up tightly; restricted
Describes being bound or restricted so tightly that one cannot move freely. Often used figuratively for being constrained by rules, obligations, or circumstances.
He is tightly bound by the rules.
I'm so tied up with debt that I can't move.
The に-form of 雁字搦み, a variant of 雁字搦め “bound hand and foot”; the origin of the element 雁字 is uncertain.