as in dissuaded
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 deterred
The lawsuit put state officials on the defensive, according to the Office of the Legislative Auditor, and deterred them from taking action against the nonprofit.
—
David Ingram, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
But neighbors on the look out for ICE say they are not deterred (Recording ICE?
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Potential sponsors might be deterred by losing out on additional business opportunities with athletes.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More than a decade of civil war and violent insurgency deterred foreign companies from returning to Iraq in any substantial way.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
But 9-year-old Austin Corbett wouldn’t be deterred.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
Both Mayor Mamdani and City Council members have said that high costs and red tape have deterred restaurant participation in outdoor dining, contributing to a drop from more than 13,000 establishments approved during the pandemic to what may be as few as 2,500 this spring.
—Andrew Rigie, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
But that hasn't deterred them from going after political leaders, including him and the people in his administration.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Vertebrate predators, including birds and lizards, may also be deterred by the oversized silhouette, mistaking the decoy for larger, less manageable prey.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
David Ingram, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
But neighbors on the look out for ICE say they are not deterred (Recording ICE?
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Potential sponsors might be deterred by losing out on additional business opportunities with athletes.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More than a decade of civil war and violent insurgency deterred foreign companies from returning to Iraq in any substantial way.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
But 9-year-old Austin Corbett wouldn’t be deterred.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
Both Mayor Mamdani and City Council members have said that high costs and red tape have deterred restaurant participation in outdoor dining, contributing to a drop from more than 13,000 establishments approved during the pandemic to what may be as few as 2,500 this spring.
—Andrew Rigie, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
But that hasn't deterred them from going after political leaders, including him and the people in his administration.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Vertebrate predators, including birds and lizards, may also be deterred by the oversized silhouette, mistaking the decoy for larger, less manageable prey.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterred
Verb
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By providing the Kichwa additional education and alternative sources of income, they’re dissuaded from hunting the more incredible animals in the rainforest.—
Noah Lederman,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2026
-
The high initial price also likely dissuaded buyers at first.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In each case, agents shot at drivers or into moving cars – a practice that has largely been discouraged by law enforcement because of risks to public safety.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
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Malinin’s parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both gifted skaters who competed in the Olympics for Uzbekistan, discouraged him from toddling onto the ice as a boy.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deterred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterred. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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