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
Furst ultimately sold Vestron to LIVE Entertainment after financing constraints forced the company into bankruptcy.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
So consider his debut against the Angels a series of firsts — pitching under time constraints and having a strike-three call challenged by the batter.
—Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Wagner joined the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent in 2022, but the Rams didn’t keep him afterward due to salary cap constraints.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Those are real constraints on real budget choices.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Greg Evans, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
So consider his debut against the Angels a series of firsts — pitching under time constraints and having a strike-three call challenged by the batter.
—Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Wagner joined the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent in 2022, but the Rams didn’t keep him afterward due to salary cap constraints.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Those are real constraints on real budget choices.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
-
The city isn’t well-positioned to raise the money to address this fact in a sensible way, given limits on its taxing authority and current budgetary restraints.—
Kevin Cole,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The prosecutor argued that Officer Noonan showed restraint that day, only shooting when Fitzsimmons performed the tap-rack and pointed the gun.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Alarmed civic officials across the West have already begun ordering restrictions on watering lawns, cleaning cars and even whether restaurant patrons get served glasses of water.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Regional restrictions may apply.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Traffic and school pressures brought on by growth concern people in the panhandle.—
John Marks,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Iran also kept up pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These early routines introduced him to the discipline and rhythms of business.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Oftentimes, it is seen as some sort of precious art form, maybe something in the realm of ballet that requires real discipline.—
Emma Forgione,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is due to a limitation in the Pennsylvania Legislature that families and advocates are working to address.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
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The central bank originally imposed the limitations due to governance and control issues at Wells, including employees opening millions of unauthorized accounts to meet work-performance quotas.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Christgau has 14,000 reviews and counting, and that’s his glory and his compulsion.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
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As the investigation twists and intensifies, Izzy is forced to confront her own compulsions and the personal cost of her pursuit of justice.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Haghighi has taken a stand against censorship and repression not only in his movies but also by personal example.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The breach comes not long after the Justice Department earlier this month seized four domains connected to the Handala group, as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Each spring, otherwise reasonable home cooks lose all inhibitions at the first sight of ramps at the farmers market.—
Kelly Vaughan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Metallica plays on the stereo while Garcia and Huerta operate like two rock stars with no inhibitions in the kitchen.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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