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
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Robinson stepped up with Karl-Anthony Towns again in foul trouble by grabbing six boards and being a deterrent at the rim.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
But the real value of such a treaty is its deterrent effect, discouraging countries from developing such weapons.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Noun
Other deterrents act by repelling insects and disease organisms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Robinson stepped up with Karl-Anthony Towns again in foul trouble by grabbing six boards and being a deterrent at the rim.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Adjective
Reuters reported last week that the fine would be modest, marking a change in Ribera’s approach with her predecessor’s deterrent hefty fines.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
But the real value of such a treaty is its deterrent effect, discouraging countries from developing such weapons.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
-
The Sixers, however, hadn’t considered the circumstances, the stakes, the resilience of an opponent with far bigger fish to fry than a second-round obstacle.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
All of this creates significant obstacles to its use as fuel for nuclear weapons.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Other goals include avoiding misdiagnoses, properly managing disease, identifying people for clinical trials and making headway on preventive therapies.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The preventive encumbrance can be lifted in seconds — but only by the rightful owner.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Montverde senior Jizelle Holland piled up points with runner-up finishes in both hurdles finals, a sixth in the triple jump and a leg on the winning relay.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
Plantation senior Nyla Christian won the long jump and placed second in the 100 hurdles to lead a contingent of Broward and Palm Beach County athletes in a parade to the podium.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The fan base for these books is famously large and protective — these are the most famous hockey romance books on the market.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
How to make homemade laundry detergent Before mixing anything, put on protective clothing — at minimum, gloves, glasses and a mask — to avoid skin or eye irritation from the ingredients.—
Ryan Brennan
May 13,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The county is majority Republican, but the general sentiment was strongly opposed to a border barrier.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The lack of barrier between your skin and the shoe is a blister disaster waiting to happen, especially during the hot, humid summer months.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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His absence left the Spurs without their primary defensive anchor in a pivotal road matchup.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
While Jaquez did not provide the eye-popping scoring of some of her teammates, the wing brought a cool effectiveness to the defensive side of the ball while tallying a pair of assists and a handful of deflections.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Coastal and eastern areas offer more dramatic settings, but come with greater risk from haze and obstruction.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
-
The hearings stretched into July, when the Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
In light of her public embarrassment, her author father, Greg, accepts a position as a visiting lecturer on campus to be close to his daughter in her time of need.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
-
Wilson’s an embarrassment to our police department.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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