as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the homeowner put up a fence around his garden as a deterrent for animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in preventive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of deterrent
Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2023
Vale responded by arguing that Trump's frauds impacted consumers by inserting false and misleading information into the marketplace, and that Trump's fine has a deterrent effect.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2024
By Yian Lee / Bloomberg September 20, 2024 4:10 AM EDT
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the death penalty but moved to limit its use, in a decision that strikes a balance between keeping the punishment’s deterrent effect and preventing its abuse.
—Yian Lee / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024
And for many soldiers, the threat of termination was deterrent enough.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deterrent 
Adjective
One area in which this has happened—and another example of the deterrent effect of the threat of total war—is Washington’s deliberate restriction of Ukraine’s ability to attack Russian territory, at least in ways that involve Western weapons.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2023
Vale responded by arguing that Trump's frauds impacted consumers by inserting false and misleading information into the marketplace, and that Trump's fine has a deterrent effect.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2024
By Yian Lee / Bloomberg September 20, 2024 4:10 AM EDT
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the death penalty but moved to limit its use, in a decision that strikes a balance between keeping the punishment’s deterrent effect and preventing its abuse.
—Yian Lee / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024
And for many soldiers, the threat of termination was deterrent enough.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
-
Despite the obstacles, many countries have committed to mediator roles.Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of this unique election is the persistence of Trump's campaign, despite the former president facing numerous legal obstacles while campaigning for the White House.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Most health insurance plans cover the total cost of an IUD, including insertion and removal, as part of preventive care.Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Investing in mobile clinics that can bring preventive care, screenings and basic treatments directly to underserved rural communities.Meeshanthini Dogan, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
The outstanding question remains whether or not there’s a surge in AI PC usage that goes along with that more basic hardware hurdle.Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
However, those gains have come with some hurdles, including a summer sell-off as sentiment dampened over the payoff from AI.Samantha Subin, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Burgum, himself a billionaire, has also been a vocal critic of the policies of President Joe Biden to raise barriers around the extraction industry.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024
-
Seven out of 10 respondents in the study reported barriers to full access to sports.Allison Torres Burtka, Parents, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The Bengals are taking over on their own 27. Copied Share Another drive, another punt Rohan Nadkarni This game is turning into quite the defensive battle.NBC News, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
-
And Golden State proved its defensive prowess is real.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The Department of Justice indicted Trump with obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to knowingly make a false statement, and assisting, aiding or comforting an insurrection.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The how-to format defined her previous television series, Martha Stewart Living, which ran from 1993 up to her federal investigation and eventual indictment for obstruction of justice in 2004.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Boeing acquired Spirit for $8.3 billion earlier this year in large part because of a major manufacturing embarrassment.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Columnists expressed their embarrassment and anger.David Remnick, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near deterrent
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share