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
But that caustically independent branding didn't deter Moulton.
—
Jon Keller, CBS News, 16 June 2026
In first place, Minicoy Island in India operates under a permit system that limits daily visitor numbers, and the island sits a whopping 18-hour boat ride (or a multi-hour charter-flight-and-boat combo) away from the mainland, a reality that tends to deter casual tourists.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2026
Those extra dollars are unlikely to deter serious collectors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 June 2026
But such a scenario is not impossible to deter.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Jon Keller, CBS News, 16 June 2026
In first place, Minicoy Island in India operates under a permit system that limits daily visitor numbers, and the island sits a whopping 18-hour boat ride (or a multi-hour charter-flight-and-boat combo) away from the mainland, a reality that tends to deter casual tourists.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2026
Those extra dollars are unlikely to deter serious collectors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 June 2026
But such a scenario is not impossible to deter.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter
Verb
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Altering that process significantly enough to ease that bottleneck would likely come with other trade-offs, experts said, such as earlier deadlines to turn in certain ballots or more time-consuming ballot drop-offs — either of which might dissuade some voters from showing up.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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Such gaps between word and deed do not dissuade investors – leading me to think of the following question.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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My advice to early career scientists is to follow your passion and not be discouraged by the current stress on the system.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
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Kamada said the talent and experience of his teammates helped Japan avoid being discouraged after falling behind for a second time.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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