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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Bond and financial covenants in loans and financial transactions are an example.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Funds that cater to institutional investors focused on loans to middle-market borrowers that had more protective covenants and wider spreads, a feature that can also buffer potential losses, Gross said at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Jeanne Phillips, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
For decades, discriminatory housing policies — including redlining, racially restrictive covenants and predatory land-sale contracts — systematically extracted the very wealth from Black families that fuels neighborhood investment.
—Tonika Lewis Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Now, the statutory trust is no longer an area of concern, but SWP believes that the land is still subject to other restrictive covenants about development.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Early 20th-century deed covenants explicitly barred Black, Chinese, or Japanese residents from buying or renting homes in the neighborhood.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
If portfolio valuations fall (and private credit managers set their own valuations), NAV loan covenants can be breached, potentially forcing fund managers to recall distributions already paid to limited partners.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Bond and financial covenants in loans and financial transactions are an example.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Funds that cater to institutional investors focused on loans to middle-market borrowers that had more protective covenants and wider spreads, a feature that can also buffer potential losses, Gross said at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Jeanne Phillips, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
For decades, discriminatory housing policies — including redlining, racially restrictive covenants and predatory land-sale contracts — systematically extracted the very wealth from Black families that fuels neighborhood investment.
—Tonika Lewis Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Now, the statutory trust is no longer an area of concern, but SWP believes that the land is still subject to other restrictive covenants about development.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Early 20th-century deed covenants explicitly barred Black, Chinese, or Japanese residents from buying or renting homes in the neighborhood.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenants
Noun
-
Haudenosaunee laws and treaties, including Gayanashagowa, were communicated for centuries through wampum belts adorned with quahog shells.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
Under the Medicine Lodge treaties of 1867, the Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne went to reservations in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
And the trucking firms that Target contracts with can operate with fuller loads.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
This is one of the missions originally awarded to United Launch Alliance under the NSSL Phase 2 contracts, but shifted to SpaceX after delays in ULA’s Vulcan certification.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The organization says the rule helps protect sponsorship agreements with companies that pay to be official World Cup partners while preventing what’s known as ambush marketing.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Long-term business agreements, because of the data center buildout, should bolster Micron’s earnings, the analysts noted.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The union usually bargains in the same year as performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and directors’ union the Directors Guild of America.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2026
-
One potential—though untested—workaround would be for conferences, which are private entities, to serve as a joint employer that bargains with a players’ union.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No matter the result of the final, a million people are expected to line the streets of North London to celebrate at least one major trophy for their men’s team in a parade that promises to end all soccer parades.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
The Red Sea destination promises barefoot luxury that leaves a light footprint, redefining what an upscale travel experience can be.—
Lauren Keith,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
No more crushes, no more secret pacts.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
-
Truwit has struck sponsorship pacts with such blue-chip brands as Nike, and is on the corporate speaking tour for such heavyweights as Amazon, Merck and Bank of America.—
William Earl,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
If everyone in America agreed on religious, political, and artistic truths, there would be no need for our constitutional guarantees.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Iran’s negotiators expressed defiance, saying there was ‘no trust in guarantees or words’ from the American side.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Adley and his team make great tasting plates first and foremost, but some of the items, like the unmissable chicken wings stuffed with boudin blanc and romesco, act as a cheeky affront to haute cuisine’s pretensions and conventions.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, Todd has continued to helm Chrisley Confessions, as well as speaking at various conservative political conventions.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covenants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenants. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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