1
as in treaty
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples
the two countries signed a peace covenant that, it was hoped, would put an end to decades of bitter conflict
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2
as in contract
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
I had to sign a covenant that I would return the rental car on time
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3
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken
the covenant that existed among neighbors in olden times whereby they would quickly respond to the call to help put out one another's house fires
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1
as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action
a traditional rule held that a husband could not enter into a covenant with his wife, because that was the equivalent of covenanting with himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent
the home buyers had to covenant that they would restore and keep the house for at least 10 years in exchange for a low mortgage rate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of covenant
Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
One person points out that the legal covenant clearly supports her position.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Most of the associations are nonprofits governed by covenants and a board of homeowners elected by the other homeowners.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
Expenses so outpaced revenue in 2024 that the district was forced to sign a forbearance agreement with lenders after violating revenue bond covenants.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Noun
In the standard post-Talmudic rabbinic interpretation, this was a natural animosity, a jealous resentment born of God’s decision to choose the Jews for his covenant.
—Daniel May, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
One person points out that the legal covenant clearly supports her position.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Most of the associations are nonprofits governed by covenants and a board of homeowners elected by the other homeowners.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
Expenses so outpaced revenue in 2024 that the district was forced to sign a forbearance agreement with lenders after violating revenue bond covenants.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
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European countries tax everything but most every country in Europe has a tax treaty with the United States dictating which country gets to tax which income first.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The latest confrontation comes just six days after Beijing declared part of the reef a marine nature reserve, drawing strong protests from the Philippines and its defense treaty ally, the United States, as well as Canada and Australia.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Upwards of ten thousand fans made the trip each year, but despite the match-up’s popularity and history, the Georgia Tech administration unexpectedly announced its intention to end the series when the contract ran out in the late 1970s.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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But upon the death of Ian Faith, Tap’s posh-sounding, cricket-bat-wielding manager, his daughter, Hope (Kerry Godliman), inherits from him a contract for one last Spinal Tap show.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Leaders have since reached an agreement to de-escalate tensions, temporarily lowering the duties to 30% on the United States’ side and 10% on China’s part.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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This agreement aims to bolster collaboration between the two nations' trillion-dollar tech sectors, enhancing opportunities for businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Contenders for the leadership of Brazil’s right wing coalition are already emerging and are bargaining for Bolsonaro’s endorsement for being presidential candidates in the 2026 elections.—
Adriana Carranca,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Oscar nominee and Lord of the Rings alum Astin will have quite the task ahead of them at the top of next year as SAG-AFTRA returns to the negotiating table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which collectively bargains on behalf of the major Hollywood studios.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump promised during the 2024 presidential campaign to release the files in their entirety and Patel before taking the FBI job had pushed unsubstantiated claims about who was in them.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
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But experts said insufficient oversight has undermined the protections promised to visa holders.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Republican and Democratic heads of a US congressional committee for strategic competition with China in July stressed their strong support for AUKUS, amid the review of the deal by Elbridge Colby, a top Pentagon policy official and public critic of the pact.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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Next season, the Mavericks icon will be a studio analyst for a new Prime Video show as Amazon begins its 11-year, $20 billion NBA pact.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Our dedication to lasting value—a promise embodied in the timeless spirit of every watch—is built via rigorous curation, careful authentication, and an unwavering trust guarantee.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The federal funds rate has huge influence on a broad range of short-term interest rates and also on something called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, the cost of borrowing money overnight using Treasury securities as guarantees.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Third-party imitative learning from an immigrating parrot’s flockmates may facilitate overall group integration and social bonding and may even give rise to cultural conventions of coordinated movements or gestures.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Both presidential candidates went on popular podcasts to broadcast their message, and each party’s convention granted media credentials to online influencers.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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