Definition of inhibitnext
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as in to discourage
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action a fundamental sense of propriety should have inhibited you from making a drunken spectacle of yourself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inhibit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inhibit are forbid, interdict, and prohibit. While all these words mean "to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done," inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation.

conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

When is forbid a more appropriate choice than inhibit?

The words forbid and inhibit can be used in similar contexts, but forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected.

smoking is forbidden in the building

When is it sensible to use interdict instead of inhibit?

While in some cases nearly identical to inhibit, interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose.

practices interdicted by the church

When might prohibit be a better fit than inhibit?

The synonyms prohibit and inhibit are sometimes interchangeable, but prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations.

prohibited the sale of liquor

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 inhibit What's inside the box isn't inhibiting me. Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 Excessive drinking can also inhibit bone formation, Matzkin added. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026 In animal studies, tirzepatide—the dual-receptor drug sold as Zepbound—appears to have target tumors in breast cancer and endometrial cancer, possibly by reversing the inflammatory effects of obesity and inhibiting tumor growth. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 8 June 2026 For example, states would often impose tariffs on each other’s goods, even if those goods were moving only from Virginia to Maryland and vice versa, thereby inhibiting the development of a national market and hamstringing internal trade. Jordan Cash, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhibit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibit
Verb
  • The score was immediately protested by the Australians, who felt their goalkeeper had been impeded or there was an offside.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • Too large a rotor can obstruct your suspension, impede your brakes and often won’t even fit inside your wheel or caliper.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • State lawmakers have stepped back from earlier, wider-ranging attempts to regulate AI that were vetoed or otherwise derailed by governors who viewed the measures as too onerous toward the industry’s development, including efforts to hold developers accountable for bias in AI systems.
    Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • The candidates in the crowded field have traded barbs about Bores’ supposed ties to Big Tech and outside groups have poured millions into the race both supporting and opposing his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • In 2011, the bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission determined that the crisis was triggered in part by Greenspan’s failure to discourage trade in securities backed by subprime mortgage loans amid an unsustainable housing boom and his promotion of financial industry deregulation.
    Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 22 June 2026
  • The color yellow attracts yellow jackets and other pollinating insects, so the all-red design increases your chances of attracting hummingbirds and discourages bees and wasps from staking claim over the sweet nectar.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Despite a 2019 public renunciation, MSV secretly governs 70% of public firms, hindering true economic progress.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • Wilson was also hindered by personal failings.
    Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Firefighters, meanwhile, quickly contained the blaze to a 10-by-10-foot area.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
  • Each kit contains five breakfasts and five lunches.
    Joshua Cole, CBS News, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The committee attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to dissuade the auditor from running.
    James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2026
  • Pablo Andres Aguilera Mora, 46, is being held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail for criminal charges including murder, assault with a deadly weapon, dissuading a witness and contempt of court, according to court records.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Brown was hampered by a back injury in college, but that wasn’t enough to scare away the Nets.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 24 June 2026
  • Investors are advised to avoid ASA, as its future performance appears hampered by both gold's current stagnation and management issues.
    Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • New laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut and Illinois seek to curb AI bias, rein in ‘robo bosses’ and protect children from opaque, emotionally manipulative chatbots.
    Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Unanimously approved Tuesday, the ban is the latest measure taken in the past two years to curb what’s become a growing safety issue in the affluent East Bay town of about 43,000 residents.
    Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 21 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inhibit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibit. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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