1
as in restraint
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
in civilized society people do not just say or do whatever they feel like—they exercise some constraint
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
put legal constraints on the board's activities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
parental constraint can take several different forms, including a denial of the approval that children usually seek from their parents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constraint
The Trump Doctrine rejects these artificial constraints, and the Gulf is a prime example of the approach.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
So far, support is not coming, and the U.N. is facing serious cash constraints as the Trump administration seeks to strip the the world agency of U.S. contributions.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Disregarding budgetary constraints, these filmmakers from countries such as Bangladesh, Lithuania, Norway and Colombia push the boundaries while keeping in mind the necessary connection between a film and its audience.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 3 June 2025
This reliance on foreign aid comes with constraints.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
So far, support is not coming, and the U.N. is facing serious cash constraints as the Trump administration seeks to strip the the world agency of U.S. contributions.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Disregarding budgetary constraints, these filmmakers from countries such as Bangladesh, Lithuania, Norway and Colombia push the boundaries while keeping in mind the necessary connection between a film and its audience.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 3 June 2025
This reliance on foreign aid comes with constraints.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
-
Still, progressive proponents of the ERA demanded that some legal loophole must exist to circumvent those restraints.—
Sarah Bedford,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2025
-
Intense hostility all around means that for now, neither Russia nor China is even willing to sit down to discuss nuclear restraints, in treaty form or otherwise.—
Matthew Bunn,
The Conversation,
6 June 2025
Noun
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At the center of the disagreement is Max, a six-year-old German Shepherd who’s been staying with her boyfriend’s parents due to previous apartment restrictions.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
1 June 2025
-
The pandemic then forced him to fund major losses as matches were behind closed doors due to government restrictions on crowds, designed to limit the spread of Covid-19.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Noun
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One of the ways that happened, Lam said, came in the form of U.S. political pressure on foreign governments or private industry to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements between Indigenous peoples and their governments.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
-
But paired with $9 trillion in refinancing pressure, the incentives start to warp.—
Jemma Green,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Such defensive discipline and intelligent street-smarts have meant that Inzaghi’s side have trailed for just 16 minutes across the whole Champions League campaign — just one per cent of their total time on the pitch.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Currently, the Academy is composed of 19 branches, each representing a specific discipline within the industry, with the newest Production and Technology Branch created in 2023, and the split of the animation feature and shorts in 2024.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Noun
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But its biggest shortcoming is its range limitations, i.e., geofencing (see this map).—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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The study has limitations, however, including that it hasn't been peer-reviewed.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Adults who adopt this tactic are diagnosed with repetition compulsion.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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The compulsion to check emails late at night has diminished, and our company culture now fosters rest and recovery just as much as ambition and drive.—
Adam Stott,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This victory is an unexpected and powerful blow to the machinery of repression in the Islamic Republic.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 May 2025
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Both movements emerged from similar circumstances and serve as reactions to censorship, repression, and the ideological constraints of the Islamic Republic.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Practices like meditation or simply taking a moment to pause before switching tasks, help strengthen networks connected to the prefrontal cortex—the region that is notably involved in planning, inhibition and sustained attention.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
27 May 2025
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This allows hurricanes to form and sustain longer without inhibition or limiting.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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