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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 My take on Don’t Think is that becoming overly cerebral, stuck exclusively in my head, inhibits flow. Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 Disciplinary siloes inhibit openness to change. Nicholas Dirks, Time, 16 Oct. 2025 These can inhibit enzyme activity or necessitate pre-washing steps. Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025 Scientists are also exploring gene therapy—implanting a gene that helps to inhibit blood vessel growth—in the hope of treating retinopathy with a one-time eye treatment. Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inhibit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibit
Verb
  • Six citizens were arrested for impeding and threatening to kill agents.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Martinez has pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hill said his tribe’s gaming operations are highly regulated, unlike bars, and are subject to annual audits and reporting to the state.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The biannual time shift tends to affect peoples’ circadian rhythms — the body’s 24-hour clock — which regulate several physiological processes.
    Hannah Poukish October 27, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If what once felt easy starts to get complicated, don’t be discouraged.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Officials say these measures are aimed at discouraging irregular migration and securing the border, contributing to a notable decline in Border Patrol apprehensions compared with previous years.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If one team’s CNAPP operations will hinder another’s, neither benefits.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
  • At the same time, his efforts to sell soybean-producing farmland could be hindered by the current trade climate that’s pushed soybean prices down.
    Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Comparable in size to the Arc de Triomphe, the Porte Monumentale also contained surface ornamentation based on Haeckel’s exacting lifelong documentation of organisms to be found in the world’s oceans.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Along with the remains, deputies found a backpack with clothes inside, a water bottle and a diary that didn’t contain any writing that helped in identifying the woman, according to a news release by the DNA Doe Project.
    Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That information might have dissuaded the Heat from pursuing a trade for Rozier.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Last week, Phypers was arrested in court and charged with four felonies — two counts of injuring a spouse and two counts of dissuading a witness by force or threat.
    Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Laboratory testing capacities at the CDC and expert guidance to analyze local trends may also be hampered during the shutdown, experts say.
    Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The two sides also discussed American agricultural exports to China and Beijing’s role in helping curb the fentanyl trade.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Though the administration insists its operations are aimed at curbing drug trafficking, regional analysts suggest a broader strategic message.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inhibit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibit. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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