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
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
European forces in Ukraine would also mirror the deterrent effect of U.S. combat forces in South Korea.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2025
Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Hikers in British Columbia and Montana used bear spray to fend off attacking bears in two separate incidents this week, supporting use of the deterrent in backcountry settings.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Noun
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
European forces in Ukraine would also mirror the deterrent effect of U.S. combat forces in South Korea.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The National Guard’s presence alone is a deterrent.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Hikers in British Columbia and Montana used bear spray to fend off attacking bears in two separate incidents this week, supporting use of the deterrent in backcountry settings.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
-
The difficulty in getting rid of players other than those whose contracts expired this summer (Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez and Jesus Vallejo) was a significant obstacle.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
To overcome this obstacle, the MIT team employed lithium-6 atoms, a rare isotope whose resonance frequency shifts depending on temperature.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And this elevated risk continues even after patients are discharged home, making the need for ongoing preventive measures critical.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
In summary, college mental health has unique protective factors and opportunities to prevent suicide in emerging adults, and the government has expressed support for these preventive efforts.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Even if the discharge petition is successful, the underlying bill would have to clear many more hurdles.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
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Reports have also pointed to practical hurdles for Optimus, including production bottlenecks, hand dexterity issues, and leadership turnover on the program.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Otherwise, the oil works as a specialized scalp treatment, too, or to provide nourishment during protective styling.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Physicists revealed that the HRNS spectrometer will be installed behind a thick concrete protective wall surrounding the fusion chamber, near an opening several centimetres in diameter, to be able to detect neutrons produced in the very center of the plasma.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Affordable Care Act in 2010 expanded access to the reviews, but barriers regularly get in the way of the process serving as a true check on insurers.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Modi was responding to a post by Trump on Truth Social, which said that New Delhi and Washington were continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers between both nations.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Tagovailoa’s third turnover occurred on Miami’s first drive of the second half when a short pass over the middle of the field was intercepted by Colts defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, who dropped back into coverage on Miami’s offense while a three Colts rushers came after Tagovailoa.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As good as Baltimore’s offense was, Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr will have some things to fix this week.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wind giant Ørsted sues White House Energy giant Ørsted and two US states sued the White House over its obstruction of a near-complete offshore wind farm, part of the administration’s move away from renewables.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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O'Dell pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson, damage to religious property and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Claudia Choose vulnerability over performative coolness, because possible embarrassment is way more powerful than polished detachment.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The companies showing off their cases with a lighter white or silvery iPhone 17 Pro in product shots mostly dodged any embarrassment, as those are harder to distinguish from Apple’s actual silver color.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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