1
as in treaties
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 contracts
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 agreements
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 bargains
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 promises
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 covenants
Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The onerous covenants include, among others, restricting WBD’s ability to modify, renew or terminate affiliation agreements.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
That means the length of developer control depends almost entirely on each neighborhood’s covenants and governing documents and, in some cases, whether the developer still holds unsold lots.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 3 Dec. 2025
Even if one's city doesn't have an ordinance concerning holiday lights, anyone who is part of homeowners association will likely have some guidelines on what is and isn't allowed in their covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Deals often include covenants tied to attendance, sponsorship renewals or season-ticket deposits.
—Joseph Glatt, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 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
The wide-ranging pact also includes amendment of a forbearance agreement with Palomar’s lenders, a requirement that lenders created after the public health care district breached financial covenants on more than $700 million in revenue bond debt.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
According to a news release from Harrell’s office, there have been at least two covenants restricting a property’s future use as a grocery store on properties within Seattle.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
The covenants contained language in property deeds that prevented the sale of land or homes to Black people and people of other ethnicities to keep certain areas exclusively White.
—Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The onerous covenants include, among others, restricting WBD’s ability to modify, renew or terminate affiliation agreements.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
That means the length of developer control depends almost entirely on each neighborhood’s covenants and governing documents and, in some cases, whether the developer still holds unsold lots.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 3 Dec. 2025
Even if one's city doesn't have an ordinance concerning holiday lights, anyone who is part of homeowners association will likely have some guidelines on what is and isn't allowed in their covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Deals often include covenants tied to attendance, sponsorship renewals or season-ticket deposits.
—Joseph Glatt, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 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
The wide-ranging pact also includes amendment of a forbearance agreement with Palomar’s lenders, a requirement that lenders created after the public health care district breached financial covenants on more than $700 million in revenue bond debt.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
According to a news release from Harrell’s office, there have been at least two covenants restricting a property’s future use as a grocery store on properties within Seattle.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenants
Noun
-
President George Washington testified before the entire Senate in 1789 about treaties with Native Americans.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Bilateral arms treaties are hard to achieve; multilateral arms treaties are exponentially more difficult.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Then modernize infrastructure by ensuring major contracts, especially TxDOT’s, deliver projects on time, on budget, and ahead of demand.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Implementing reviews of active consulting contracts.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The 251 hostages taken in the attack were returned to Israel in various ceasefire agreements, with the remains of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the final body in Gaza.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Health officials are working to secure more agreements with pharmaceutical companies to expand the selection of prescription drugs on the platform.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this Gothic fantasy debut, Leena Al-Sayer bargains her ability to see the dead in order to pay for the expensive medicine her brother Rami needs to live.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Those restraints are lawful because the NFL collectively bargains them with the NFL players association.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The company promises lower fares by giving drivers 100% of the rider's payment, cutting out commissions and fees on both sides.—
Naomi Ruchim,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Learning How to Skimo—With an E-Ski E-Skimo promises to cut the grind by 30 percent, meaning 30 percent less of a muscle workout—while boosting speed by 80 percent, potentially extending range fourfold.—
Kendall Hunter,
Outside,
14 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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During the same period, New Delhi finalized pacts with Britain, New Zealand and Oman.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Zelensky, who has been president since 2019, noted that elections have not been held since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and stressed that Ukraine needed strong security guarantees before agreeing to any end to the war.—
Nandika Chatterjee,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Ukrainian president also reiterated his demand for strong security guarantees as a precondition to ending the war.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To do the job well, historical novelists must learn about the conventions of an era, the social and political tensions of the time even if these are only used to sketch out the background.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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Training can help a person expect certain patterns, Andres added, which underscores when conventions are being followed or flouted.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covenants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenants. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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