as in dissuades
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deters
This deters patients from using other opioids while on the medication.
—
Rachel French, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
The aromatic foliage of sages (including herb species) deters aphids and Japanese beetles, while the blossoms support a host of beneficial insects.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Which scent deters wasps the most?
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
The presence of thimerosal deters growth of any germs.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
Locke argued that the perception of cooperation between local police and ICE undermines community trust and deters people from contacting law enforcement.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Jan. 2026
This attitude keeps women at a lower pay and deters the enforcement of policies that could initiate change, Milton said.
—Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
Watchman Trail in Zion National Park, Utah The dry heat that typically deters hikers from southern Utah in the summer is long gone by the winter months.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Rachel French, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
The aromatic foliage of sages (including herb species) deters aphids and Japanese beetles, while the blossoms support a host of beneficial insects.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Which scent deters wasps the most?
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
The presence of thimerosal deters growth of any germs.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
Locke argued that the perception of cooperation between local police and ICE undermines community trust and deters people from contacting law enforcement.
—Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Jan. 2026
This attitude keeps women at a lower pay and deters the enforcement of policies that could initiate change, Milton said.
—Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
Watchman Trail in Zion National Park, Utah The dry heat that typically deters hikers from southern Utah in the summer is long gone by the winter months.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deters
Verb
-
The difficulty of challenging an arbitrator’s award sometimes dissuades the losing party from spending the time and money necessary to mount a viable challenge.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The tension between the audience wanting the best for Siaja while her community dissuades her is key to North of North’s appeal, and that all comes down to how strongly Lambe anchors the series around her.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The divergence owes partly to the fact that Vancouver’s tax code discourages rentals, as the researcher Margaret Morales has argued, but also to Seattle’s conventionally American cocktail of regulations, which heavily discourages condominiums.—
M. Nolan Gray,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The current system discourages participation in democracy.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deters. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
