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
This is an inexpensive and simple way to deter nibbling animals.
—
Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
Ethiopia has been among Africa’s fastest-growing economies in recent years, but delays in restructuring its debt has deterred international investors.
—Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The spokesperson also said the company has amended its policies to deter host cancellations, decreasing such instances by 30 percent year over year since July 2023.
—Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
That means that more than 1,400 miles of the entire southern border will have a physical barrier to deter people from crossing by the time the current and future projects are completed.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
Ethiopia has been among Africa’s fastest-growing economies in recent years, but delays in restructuring its debt has deterred international investors.
—Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The spokesperson also said the company has amended its policies to deter host cancellations, decreasing such instances by 30 percent year over year since July 2023.
—Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
That means that more than 1,400 miles of the entire southern border will have a physical barrier to deter people from crossing by the time the current and future projects are completed.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 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 8 Feb. 2026.
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