as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the homeowner put up a fence around his garden as a deterrent for animals
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Recent Examples of deterrents
Natural deterrents like peppermint oil and other scent barriers can help keep rats away without harm.
—
Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Scare tactics, physical barriers, unpleasant deterrents, and lack of resources should keep squirrels away.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
If an unknown person enters the property perimeter, the system can trigger deterrents including warning lights and voice alerts.
—Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Codependent superpowers The truce between Beijing and Washington might be more durable this time as both sides now possess more credible economic deterrents against each other.
—Neil Shearing, Time, 20 May 2026
There’s no science showing these are effective deterrents, says Pierce.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
All the clocks in our house were set ahead on a graduated system, as deterrents to being late.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
Students organized walks along the roadway so community partners, including Clark and Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn, could get a better idea of how certain potholes, trash cans placed in bike lanes and the general road structure were deterrents for biking and walking.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Scare tactics, physical barriers, unpleasant deterrents, and lack of resources should keep squirrels away.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
If an unknown person enters the property perimeter, the system can trigger deterrents including warning lights and voice alerts.
—Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Codependent superpowers The truce between Beijing and Washington might be more durable this time as both sides now possess more credible economic deterrents against each other.
—Neil Shearing, Time, 20 May 2026
There’s no science showing these are effective deterrents, says Pierce.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
All the clocks in our house were set ahead on a graduated system, as deterrents to being late.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
Students organized walks along the roadway so community partners, including Clark and Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn, could get a better idea of how certain potholes, trash cans placed in bike lanes and the general road structure were deterrents for biking and walking.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrents
Noun
-
That disconnect is beginning to create what could become the new trust economy—one in which governance, authentication, transparency and accountability become strategic advantages for the companies in this space, rather than just operational or compliance obstacles.—
Jacques Ledbetter,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
His fragile starman is a strange, complex being navigating his way through Earth’s obstacles, including love, lust, addiction, greed, and ambition in his plight to save his planet and survive the chaos caused by his arrival.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Overcoming cost barriers with advanced architecture Traditional nuclear energy projects frequently face economic hurdles due to the extensive lead times and high capital requirements of manufacturing heavy components.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
California has the third-most data centers in the country, with 300, but high electricity rates, expensive land and regulatory hurdles mean that fewer, and smaller, facilities are currently planned than in other hotspots.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
So using these as natural barriers obviously has an enormous significance — enormous importance.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
-
The department is also advancing plans for the South Delta Gates project, which would replace the temporary rock barriers with permanent operable gates.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Of the photons of light that avoid clouds of dust and other deep-space obstructions to reach our planet, most don’t make it through Earth’s thick atmosphere, let alone through a telescope’s loss-prone optics.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
-
Water causes cotton to expand rather than dissolve, which can create obstructions in pipes.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deterrents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrents. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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