Synonyms of constraint

constraint

noun

kən-ˈstrānt 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• restraint
• discipline
• repression
• inhibition
• suppression
• composure
• discretion
• self-control
• reserve
• refrainment
• self-restraint
• continence
• control
• self-command
• possession
• mastery
• willpower
• distance
• self-discipline
• will
• silence
• command
• reticence
• modesty
• self-censorship
• bashfulness
• self-containment
• aloofness
• shyness
• self-denial
• self-mastery
• self-government
• taciturnity
• self-poise
• self-possession
• detachedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incontinence
• disinhibition
• unconstraint
• gratification
• indulgence
• frankness
• candor
• overindulgence
• bluntness
• uninhibitedness
• intemperance
• self-abandonment
• unrestrainedness
• self-indulgence
• immoderacy

2

as in restriction

something that limits one's freedom of action or choice

put legal constraints on the board's activities

Synonyms & Similar Words

• restriction
• limitation
• restraint
• condition
• curb
• stricture
• exception
• circumscription
• prohibition
• check
• stipulation
• fetter
• proviso
• qualification
• reservation
• strings
• ban
• proscription

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• freedom
• latitude

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pressure
• compulsion
• coercion
• intimidation
• violence
• duress
• threat
• force
• stress
• fear
• arm-twisting
• strength
• menace
• terror
• sword
• terrorism
• squeeze
• muscle
• bullying
• potency
• strain
• might
• browbeating
• bulldozing
• willfulness
• squeeze play
• self-will
• puissance
• hardheadedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreement
• approval
• consent
• permission
• reason
• persuasion
• suasion
• convincing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of constraint

Gloria said that while the city faces budget constraints and bureaucratic hurdles, San Diego is still committed to ending homelessness through a housing-first strategy. — Trevor Morgan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Hi3D treats color processing as a manufacturing challenge, combining intelligent color segmentation, printing constraints, and real filament matching to create multi-color models that balance visual quality and practical production. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

While the rules for A grades are set, there is no constraint on the number of A-minus grades that professors can hand out. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty could cease to function as a meaningful constraint, and Germany, Iran, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea could move to acquire nuclear weapons within two decades. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026