as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the homeowner put up a fence around his garden as a deterrent for animals
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in preventive
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deterrent
Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for deterrent 
Adjective
The First Circuit agreed with the lower court, holding that FBAR penalties — acknowledged to be partly deterrent in nature — are not subject to the constitutional protection against excessive fines.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
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As businesses adapted to new ways of working, obstacles were removed for employees who had previously found their options limited.—
Gene Myers,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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Poor planning can jeopardize access to space, materials, and equipment, leading to obstacles that drain time and money.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The gaming community awaits Sony's explanation for the outage cause and potential preventive measures, particularly given recent service disruptions.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
-
The cancer was discovered after Sykes underwent breast reduction surgery, and the comedian opted for a double mastectomy as a preventive measure.—
Eileen Finan,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Their restaurant group, Strategic Hospitality, helps manage those practical hurdles and provides access to resources from accounting to HR.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
The Tennessean,
18 Feb. 2025
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Financing the film was an early hurdle for Molayemi and Sohani.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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From Marian Anderson breaking racial barriers in 1939 to Dr. King inspiring millions in 1963 and modern activists continuing the fight for justice today, the Lincoln Memorial stands as a monument to progress, resilience, and hope.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2025
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If the throngs of fans lining the barriers of the red carpet were anything to go by (their screams were audible from the water), Thailand certainly loves Lisa back.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Steve Spagnuolo has only burnished his reputation as one of the NFL’s premier defensive strategists.—
Jim Reineking,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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Surtain became the first defensive back to win the award since Stephon Gilmore in 2019 after locking top receivers all season long.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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According to Bennett Gershman, a professor at Pace University's law school, free speech protections allow residents to discuss law enforcement in their neighborhoods, but language that actively encourages evasion of authorities could possibly be construed as obstruction of justice.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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The then-former president was charged with dozens of felony counts, including violations of the espionage act and obstruction of justice.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But that doesn’t seem to be the purpose of the record, which leans more heavily into fan service — a treat for those who’ve stayed loyal (or at least neutral) as Drake suffered the past year’s cavalcade of embarrassments.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
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No mention of Ukraine, not a word about Russia—VP Vance’s scolding lecture to Europe about free speech at the Munich Security Conference today was a complete embarrassment.—
Security & Defense Reporter Ellie Cook , reporting from Munich,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near deterrent
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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