DETER Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

deter

verb

di-ˈtər

Definition of deter

as in to dissuade

to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deter And that has been an argument that successfully deterred or slowed down regulation. — Laina Gustafson, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026 Westport’s entertainment district began implementing security checkpoints and pedestrian-only streets on weekend evenings starting in 2018 to deter late-night crime in the area. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026 Her family didn’t let Maple’s struggles deter them from giving her a home. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026 The service or product a company is providing should not deter an owner’s move to seek out a private equity investment. — Patrick Galleher, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter

Verb

In May, Cloobeck was arrested and charged with three counts of attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying and one count of harassment for making annoying phone calls, according to a criminal complaint.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
The ease with which Murray operated on the field, even amid all of the developing noise, didn’t dissuade anyone from those initial impressions.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of dissuade

Verb

Throughout the film, Agent Miller refuses to abandon the investigation, even after being discouraged from following the case by her superiors who felt as though there wasn’t enough evidence pointing to Kaczynski.

— Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Finance may make a prudent decision that discourages frontline adoption.

— Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of discourage

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detentions

deter

deterge

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“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deter

verb

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