as in deterrent
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as in dissuading
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail
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Recent Examples of deterring
Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
The department will have a presence all over the city during the tournament, Whittaker said, with hopes of visibly deterring crime and keeping the peace.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2026
Why has Hochul stalled on the Propel transmission line from upstate to NYC, deterring solar providers from making investments in this cheap, clean fuel?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Under the plan, a multinational force for Ukraine would be deployed once a ceasefire is in place, aimed at deterring any Russian aggression and supporting the rebuilding of Ukraine’s military.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
That meant deterring non-American actors in the region.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 2 Jan. 2026
The vapor dissipates rather fast, and does not really allow for an effective way of deterring many pests.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
After all, Iranian people have proved to be Iran’s greatest asset in resisting and deterring foreign aggression.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Verb
But critics say the costly project — some analysts put its price tag at as much as $1 trillion — could have the unintended effect of triggering an arms race, rather than deterring adversarial behavior.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
The department will have a presence all over the city during the tournament, Whittaker said, with hopes of visibly deterring crime and keeping the peace.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2026
Why has Hochul stalled on the Propel transmission line from upstate to NYC, deterring solar providers from making investments in this cheap, clean fuel?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Under the plan, a multinational force for Ukraine would be deployed once a ceasefire is in place, aimed at deterring any Russian aggression and supporting the rebuilding of Ukraine’s military.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
That meant deterring non-American actors in the region.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 2 Jan. 2026
The vapor dissipates rather fast, and does not really allow for an effective way of deterring many pests.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
After all, Iranian people have proved to be Iran’s greatest asset in resisting and deterring foreign aggression.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterring
Adjective
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Will blowing up boats stop fentanyl deaths in the U.S.? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, has said Trump's military strikes near Venezuela are already having a deterrent effect on drug cartels.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
31 Dec. 2025
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This team has neither a point-of-attack defense on the perimeter nor a true deterrent interior presence.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kelly isn’t dissuading people from talking about his presidential prospects.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
14 Jan. 2026
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A little bout of volatility isn't dissuading Ed Yardeni from his bullish take on stocks.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a 2025 prison interview included in the documentary, Young defends his treatments and denies making anyone sick or discouraging his patients from seeing their doctors.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Fixating on the outcome and then having trouble achieving that goal can be discouraging.—
Gillian Mohney,
Verywell Health,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deterring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterring. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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