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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Recent Examples of deter
Residents now take shifts patrolling the neighborhood in an effort to deter crime on their own terms.
—
Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The policy, which was adopted in late 2023, aims to deter foreign countries from blackmailing European countries through economic pressure.
—Philip Wang, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Experts say the caffeine and scent levels in used grounds are too weak to deter bugs effectively.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The policy, which was adopted in late 2023, aims to deter foreign countries from blackmailing European countries through economic pressure.
—Philip Wang, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Experts say the caffeine and scent levels in used grounds are too weak to deter bugs effectively.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter
Verb
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If some companies, like BP and Total acquiesced, others like Exxon and Conoco packed up and left, writing off $billions and filing international arbitration claims that dissuaded many firms from seeking to establish operations in the country.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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There’s nothing like the threats of Sasquatch coming into the theater, stuffing you in a sleeping bag and beating you against a tree in one of their Don’t Talk PSAs to dissuade you from using your phone.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The travel watch still discourages unnecessary travel.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Jan. 2026
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The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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