as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the homeowner put up a fence around his garden as a deterrent for animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in preventive
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deterrent
Anna Chernova, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
But even if Ross changed his mind and decided to sell majority interest in the franchise, there would deterrents because of tax law.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Arrests in court will create a deterrent effect on individuals appearing for their court hearings, 90% of individuals placed in removal proceedings attend their hearings, these actions will continue to cause harm, confusion, and are not the way our government should act.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Noun
Russia holds routine readiness exercises as part of its nuclear deterrent.
—Anna Chernova, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
But even if Ross changed his mind and decided to sell majority interest in the franchise, there would deterrents because of tax law.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Allowing China and Russia entry would strengthen other autocratic regimes, reducing the deterrent influence of democratic alliances.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Arrests in court will create a deterrent effect on individuals appearing for their court hearings, 90% of individuals placed in removal proceedings attend their hearings, these actions will continue to cause harm, confusion, and are not the way our government should act.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
-
Still, recent history has thrown obstacles in the way of developers’ timelines for Sacramento-area sports venues.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
It was struck down, eliminating an obstacle for those lawsuits to get to trial.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite over a century of investigation, there is still no cure, but advances in diagnostic tools, treatments and preventive strategies continue to offer hope for slowing the disease and improving quality of life for patients and caregivers.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
For children, Arizona consistently ranks below the national average for preventive dental visits.—
Sixteen Ramos,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Separately, industry experts point to fundamental technical hurdles.—
Ruben Nyanguila,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The landfill project has faced several hurdles and drawn the ire of residents since 2024, when Chisholm filed an application for a permit.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Many women with natural hair can empathize with the breakage concerns and tediousness that can arise when taking down protective styles.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Some dietary supplements can help with bloating by improving factors like gut bacteria, digestion, and the gut’s protective barrier.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Mamdani will face high expectations and even higher barriers to executing an agenda that includes enormous bureaucratic, political, and logistic hurdles.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In this conversation with Interesting Engineering, Elbasyouni reflects on his path from a curious kid who hacked radios to a leader in aerospace innovation, the lessons learned from startups and deep-space engineering, and the mindset needed to break through barriers, technical and otherwise.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Dak Brinkley shows pass rushing ability KU freshman defensive end Dak Brinkley recorded the first two sacks of his college career on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
On the defensive end, Josh Moten had 3 of the 5 Southern Miss interceptions and 6 tackles.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Jason Olson was cited for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation and obstruction of government operations, according to FOX 10.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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The filing, entered Monday by Comey’s legal defense team, confirms that evidence collected in the leak investigation, codenamed Arctic Haze, is central to the Justice Department’s false-statement and obstruction case against him.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Remember his embarrassment after winning the 2016 presidential election but losing the national popular vote?—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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For years now, Fuentes has been both an embarrassment to the right and an indicator of what’s brewing in the id of conservatism.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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