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
SpaceX argues that orbital data centers sidestep the land, water and power grid constraints squeezing terrestrial AI.
—
Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Employment limitations are influenced by a combination of resource constraints, geographic distribution challenges, and barriers affecting both providers and those seeking care.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 June 2026
Long before the war for independence began, colonists played with a streak of exploratory defiance, rebelling against the constraints of their own Puritan governors.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026
City attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite told council members the moratorium cannot be applied to projects that were already approved because of constraints within state law.
—Mary Ramsey
updated June 8, Charlotte Observer, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Employment limitations are influenced by a combination of resource constraints, geographic distribution challenges, and barriers affecting both providers and those seeking care.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 June 2026
Long before the war for independence began, colonists played with a streak of exploratory defiance, rebelling against the constraints of their own Puritan governors.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026
City attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite told council members the moratorium cannot be applied to projects that were already approved because of constraints within state law.
—Mary Ramsey
updated June 8, Charlotte Observer, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
-
In the case of these earrings, restraint was paramount.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
-
For disabled students already navigating discrimination, bullying, and in some cases dangerous seclusion and restraint practices with fewer advocacy resources than ever, the question of who will investigate and enforce their rights just got a lot murkier.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Last week, the UK government banned social media for under-16s starting next year, modeling its restrictions on those set by the Australian government in December.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
-
Some of the restrictions were partially or fully reversed after public backlash and court challenges.—
Ignacio Calderon,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools faced mounting pressure to raise test scores, creating a fundamental tension between learning time and and play time.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Turbulent emotions can stir up physical stress when the Leo moon puts pressure on Mars.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The conversation was no longer focused on accessibility as a discipline.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
These are professionals who have spent years working alongside some of the best filmmakers in the world and who bring an extraordinary level of expertise, discipline and problem solving to every production.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
But the industry groups are still arguing that film credits should be entirely exempt from the new limitations, as they have already been accounted for and approved by the Legislature through 2030.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2026
-
Sometimes our limitations arrive uninvited.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Writers write from compulsion, from necessity.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
For me, one of these compulsions ended up being using the tracking app.—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
A lot of it came from internalized homophobia and his own repression.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
-
The human-rights groups are also tallying Iran’s civilian war dead—about 1,700, according to HRANA, 250 of them children—and tracking a campaign of domestic repression and intimidation that has escalated since the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28.—
Laura Secor,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The little people are being menaced by a dark force—a force with power, money, and very few moral inhibitions.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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Shrug off inhibitions and break the ice as the moon and Uranus harmonize.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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