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
Electric cars vs common theft methods The old-fashioned way of stealing cars by taking the keys from the owner still works, but EVs have deterrents against some of the new theft methods.
—
Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The future of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Athletics’ departure from Oakland have served as deterrents to expansion.
—Wayne G. McDonnell, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The second and third phases will include an electric barrier and more acoustic deterrents.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Other Ways To Deter Wasps Whether a fake wasp nest works or not is hard to say definitively, but it’s best used in conjunction with other deterrents.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
School officials plan to relocate the nest to another platform on school grounds and build deterrents on the stadium lights once the chicks leave, hoping the ospreys will return next year.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The deterrents are different for veterans who suffer from eating disorders, and studies show are often battling the demons of post-traumatic stress without a support system to lean on.
—Noelle Wiehe, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
Other duties include counseling students and parents, assisting schools in determining appropriate courses of action that involve violations of law on campuses and inspecting school facilities for reasonable security precautions, traffic patterns and vandalism deterrents.
—Jim Drummond, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
These weapons are not simply deterrents but tools of active combat, redefining the conventional balance between Islamabad and New Delhi by introducing high-precision standoff artillery as an operational staple in future conflicts.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The future of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Athletics’ departure from Oakland have served as deterrents to expansion.
—Wayne G. McDonnell, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The second and third phases will include an electric barrier and more acoustic deterrents.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Other Ways To Deter Wasps Whether a fake wasp nest works or not is hard to say definitively, but it’s best used in conjunction with other deterrents.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
School officials plan to relocate the nest to another platform on school grounds and build deterrents on the stadium lights once the chicks leave, hoping the ospreys will return next year.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The deterrents are different for veterans who suffer from eating disorders, and studies show are often battling the demons of post-traumatic stress without a support system to lean on.
—Noelle Wiehe, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
Other duties include counseling students and parents, assisting schools in determining appropriate courses of action that involve violations of law on campuses and inspecting school facilities for reasonable security precautions, traffic patterns and vandalism deterrents.
—Jim Drummond, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
These weapons are not simply deterrents but tools of active combat, redefining the conventional balance between Islamabad and New Delhi by introducing high-precision standoff artillery as an operational staple in future conflicts.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrents
Noun
-
To strengthen an organization’s risk management, executives and boards must first identify cultural obstacles, according to the report.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This missile allows tank crews to hit targets that are hidden behind buildings, trees, or other obstacles without exposing themselves to enemy fire.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One of the big hurdles Paramount and Skydance likely wouldn’t have to worry about is the FCC.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Education remains one of the category’s biggest hurdles, since many shoppers still view honey as interchangeable.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Trial-size packaging lowers entry barriers in premium categories.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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People without health insurance cannot access services, services in the county are fragmented, and low income creates additional barriers for residents, especially residents of color, the story found.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 2025, Roborock launched a vacuum cleaner with a robotic arm for moving socks and other obstructions out of the way.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Buck is collecting data to identify any obstructions to the safe navigation of traffic entering or exiting the Port of Baltimore via the Fort McHenry Federal Channel.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deterrents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrents. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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