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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The team seeks to understand the motivations, contexts, and constraints that shape human actions.
—
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025
Link’s flight simulators supercharging our pilot training with adaptive decision-making under pressure; medical residents refining teamwork and communication in simulated trauma bays; managers learning leadership through live project crises with shifting constraints and incomplete information.
—Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The strict time constraints and what triggers the clock are also more restrictive in Colorado than in other states, noted Perczak.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
The first is that any restrictions or constraints on the freedom of inquiry will both hamper the core functions of the university and lead to less innovation, less creativity, and less risk in taking up new ideas.
—Nicholas Dirks, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025
Link’s flight simulators supercharging our pilot training with adaptive decision-making under pressure; medical residents refining teamwork and communication in simulated trauma bays; managers learning leadership through live project crises with shifting constraints and incomplete information.
—Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The strict time constraints and what triggers the clock are also more restrictive in Colorado than in other states, noted Perczak.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
The first is that any restrictions or constraints on the freedom of inquiry will both hamper the core functions of the university and lead to less innovation, less creativity, and less risk in taking up new ideas.
—Nicholas Dirks, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
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The ship brings history and perhaps some English restraint to the world’s cruise capital.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
-
D’Angelo understood the ways in which restraint can be infinitely more haunting—and more alluring—than aggression.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Free of the restrictions of their previous IP work with franchises like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, AdHoc can begin showing audiences what their house style and sensibilities look like.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
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The Pentagon said that more than 60 correspondents signed on to its new restrictions, with major news outlets as well as conservative sources like Newsmax and The Washington Times shunning the new policy.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As Monaco ramped up the second-half pressure, with Spurs seemingly having no answer for the pace and fervour with which the Ligue 1 side attacked Frank’s defence from all angles, Netherlands international Teze looked set to break the deadlock.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Some of Microsoft’s AI competitors are facing intense pressure to keep young users safe on their platforms.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
How has intersecting those two disciplines (acting and music) been like when creating the album’s concept?—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Beyond Film serves as a community hub for attendees, offering artist discussions, conversations with filmmakers and experts from various disciplines, and opportunities for audience engagement.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And some studies finding positive results, such as the one mentioned above, have had significant limitations, including small sample sizes and potential conflicts of interest due to industry funding.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
18 Oct. 2025
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These decisions have significantly affected the availability of polling places, early voting, absentee ballot eligibility, and even the provision of food and water to voters waiting in lines for hours to vote, likely due to limitations mentioned above.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But now, having reined in his recklessness and compulsion to constantly create and force plays, the Patriots have developed an elite prospect into a promising pro passer.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
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Where does this compulsion stem from?—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If pushback fails now, whether through courts, through Congress or through public protest, the bulwark that exists between national security and political repression may collapse entirely.—
Jason M. Blazakis,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
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History’s rhythm is steady—accusation, repression, regret.—
Alexis Coe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The key is to relax, let go of your inhibitions, and just have fun.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
17 Oct. 2025
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On-demand male contraception via acute inhibition of soluble adenylyl cyclase.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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