restraining order

noun

1
: a preliminary legal order sometimes issued to keep a situation unchanged pending decision upon an application for an injunction
2
: a legal order issued against an individual to restrict or prohibit access or proximity to another specified individual

Examples of restraining order in a Sentence

The judge issued a restraining order.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sophy sought a parallel restraining order against Young that was denied by a different judge in November. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2025 Federal judge issues temporary restraining order stopping federal agents from detaining Columbia University student Shortly afterward, the officers all pull cloth coverings over their mouths and noses, some of them wearing sunglasses, as one of them restrains Ozturk’s hands behind her back. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2025 Department Of Education Has Restored Access To Student Loan Payment Plans Based On Income On Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the AFT filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to force the reopening of IDR plans, the Trump administration restored access to the IDR application. — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Trump was angry because Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order to halt deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law that Trump is trying to invoke to get around the typical legal process for deportations. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for restraining order

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restraining order was in 1780

Rhymes for restraining order

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Browse Nearby Words

restrained beam
restraining order
restraint
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Cite this Entry

“Restraining order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restraining%20order. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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Legal Definition

restraining order

see order sense 3b

More from Merriam-Webster on restraining order

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about restraining order

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