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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Other leagues, including the NBA, empower their commissioner to review disputes in arbitration or grievance proceedings, but sports leagues with teams are unique in ways that might dissuade the Supreme Court from taking the case.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Trump, just as the vote was wrapping up, issued a primary threat against those who opposed his tariff regime — potentially dissuading some Republicans running in tight seats from backing Democrats’ tariff resolutions.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some social media comments suggested that a Sunday afternoon start and ticket prices that were said to start at $900 discouraged people from showing up.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
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Difficult or impossible claim process Pre-authorizations, limited repair-shop options, and long wait times are tactics often used to make the claims process feel impossible or to discourage them altogether.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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