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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Joseph Glatt, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025
In fact, the Catholic Church and many Protestant denominations do recognize the covenant.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
The demons transform into trauma, operating between flashbacks of the Santa Teresa covenant with bloody faces and slamming doors to the grocery store where Agnes works in the present.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Borrowers are willing to pay a lot more in interest than the traditional lengthy, expensive syndication process that requires ratings from S&P and Fitch, tough covenants, and sometimes long.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Noun
Deals often include covenants tied to attendance, sponsorship renewals or season-ticket deposits.
—Joseph Glatt, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025
In fact, the Catholic Church and many Protestant denominations do recognize the covenant.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
The demons transform into trauma, operating between flashbacks of the Santa Teresa covenant with bloody faces and slamming doors to the grocery store where Agnes works in the present.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Borrowers are willing to pay a lot more in interest than the traditional lengthy, expensive syndication process that requires ratings from S&P and Fitch, tough covenants, and sometimes long.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
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Opponents worry about breaking existing environmental protections for the region, and endangering the treaty altogether.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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The safety briefings are required by the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention—a treaty first adopted in 1912 after the Titanic sank.—
Erica Silverstein,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The court found the contracts were unconstitutional.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Kansas City Royals came to a contract agreement with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on Friday night.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The agreement also explores adopting the SGE’s advanced physical warehousing system in Hong Kong, offering secure gold management for local and global participants while strengthening ties between on-exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) trading.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Flurry of trade deals The agreement comes days after the EU signed a pivotal pact with the South American bloc Mercosur, following deals last year with Indonesia, Mexico and Switzerland.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The union had been bargaining with Kaiser since last May.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
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The union said nurses are committed to bargaining daily to settle the dispute.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Under political and donor duress, some schools have adopted statements promising institutional neutrality on issues of the day — even those about which administrators, faculty and students may be most vocal.—
Richard K. Vedder,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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The outside cash backing them likely represents the tip of the iceberg this year, observers said — especially in the first competitive Democratic governor’s race in over a decade where one candidate doesn’t promise to steamroll the competition’s spending with self-funding.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Ricardo Sheffield, a prominent Morena senator who was previously a member of the center-right National Action Party, has called for a review of oil pacts with Cuba.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Policy changes that Northwestern agreed to included terminating the Deering Meadow Agreement, a 2024 pact with demonstrators under which the university had, among other things, provided temporary space for two Middle Eastern and Muslim student groups.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Drone racing hasn’t really gained mass appeal, even with human pilots, so there’s no guarantee the AI Grand Prix will be a hit with spectators during a race in Ohio later this year.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the battle begins anew every fall, and there are no guarantees for even the best teams, with only 17 shots to rack up wins or losses.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Written with youthful panache and self-assurance, the book already bears the hallmarks of a vibrant artistic consciousness, eager to disrupt literary convention.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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However, Fairbanks, a legendary coach who had spent much of her life pushing back against convention, didn’t see color.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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