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
According to the report, many developers face obstacles such as rising construction costs, financing constraints, labor shortages, and regulatory complexity.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
State Medicaid programs have always had a responsibility to only cover medically necessary care, and the current budget constraints mean that the department has to carefully look for services that are driving up costs, deputy Medicaid director Cristen Bates said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
For so long, the CLA’s biggest constraint was getting large organizations to buy into a significant overhaul of their training methods.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The concept grew out of practical constraints.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
State Medicaid programs have always had a responsibility to only cover medically necessary care, and the current budget constraints mean that the department has to carefully look for services that are driving up costs, deputy Medicaid director Cristen Bates said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
For so long, the CLA’s biggest constraint was getting large organizations to buy into a significant overhaul of their training methods.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The concept grew out of practical constraints.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
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On multiple occasions, Johnson has pointed the blame at those who flee police and credited officers with showing restraint in pursuits.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Those charges include four counts each of counterfeiting−delivery/possession of property and knowingly selling counterfeit, nonfunctional or noncompliant supplemental restraint systems.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Project 2025 calls for Title I to be delivered to states as block grants, or chunks of money with few restrictions.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
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Military officials are pushing forward with new restrictions on the Pentagon press corps despite objections from news organizations and watchdog groups.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the Pacific, a trough of low pressure a few hundred miles off the coast of southwestern Mexico has a high chance of forming in the next 48 hours.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The budget pressures departments to have state employees return to their offices instead of working at home as many have done since the 2020 pandemic.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Milei instead relied on the IMF’s guidance for promoting fiscal discipline.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics remains widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the discipline.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Moulton’s Senate primary rationale, stated or otherwise, rests on the enduring public image of former President Joe Biden, who withdrew from his 2024 reelection bid after a disastrous debate against Trump revealed limitations of being in office at age 82 and beyond.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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There are still limitations, of course.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Unlike others of his ilk, Dexter has honed his compulsion and focuses only on bad people in Miami who slip through the hands of justice.—
Barry Garron,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
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Castro’s talent lies in meticulously creating a realistic—and entertaining—portrait of one man’s compulsions, bringing individual texture to a curious social phenomenon.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Klima lived an incredible, principled life, having survived both the Nazi concentration camp at Terezin as a boy, and post-1968 Soviet repression in Czechoslovakia.—
Jonny Diamond,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Maintaining the correct proportion of excitation to inhibition is critical for keeping the brain healthy and harmonious.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
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This also supports the idea that swearing can momentarily activate mental states that reduce inhibition and allow the body and mind to perform at a higher level.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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