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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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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Through her restraint, Roberts provokes in us some semblance of empathy for her character – in a movie where everyone else is basically monstrous.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As part of the plea agreement, criminal restraint and battery charges were dismissed.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
10 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
-
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
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Like any sector of tech, there’s pressure to innovate, of course.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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The move follows mounting political pressure and marks a shift in how YouTube handles past bans tied to outdated policies.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 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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The precise mechanics now accepted as holding back player development in the States — the pay-to-play model at youth level, the limitations of MLS — were not really considered.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Siddiqi emphasizes that creative decisions were driven by instinct and extensive discussion rather than external limitations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Where does this compulsion stem from?—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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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
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 12 Oct. 2025.
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