1
as in discipline
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
it will take a great deal of restraint to keep from telling her how ugly that dress is
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2
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
civil libertarians contend that the new laws place too many restraints on our constitutionally guaranteed rights
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3
as in temperance
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
he shows very little restraint or tact when expressing his opinions about others
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restraint
As demonstrations outside an immigration enforcement facility near Chicago have ramped up over the past couple of months, so has the number of protesters being led away in restraints and facing a court date.
—
Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Lap bars, which are the primary restraint system, were found to be fully functional in multiple inspections, Gorgon said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
High chairs like these are expected to have an attached restraint system for children, and this particular chair was sold without one.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The rider tumbled and slid forward along the leftmost lane and the left shoulder as the bike did the same after the off-duty deputy bumped into him, video showed, before law enforcement officers moved in to apply restraints.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Lap bars, which are the primary restraint system, were found to be fully functional in multiple inspections, Gorgon said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
High chairs like these are expected to have an attached restraint system for children, and this particular chair was sold without one.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The rider tumbled and slid forward along the leftmost lane and the left shoulder as the bike did the same after the off-duty deputy bumped into him, video showed, before law enforcement officers moved in to apply restraints.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraint
Noun
-
Eberflus’ best intentions and vision for winning football disintegrated due in part to his team’s lack of discipline and the coaching staff’s inability to steer out of even the smallest skids.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
However, the Chinese researchers argue that those systems typically focus on fewer disciplines and often require manual adjustments when expanded.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Later that month, a judge lifted the restriction and ordered that Hildebrandt must put $100,000 from the potential sale in a bank account for the children, according to ABC7.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Local blackout restrictions for Marlins would be eliminated in that scenario.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On a single day in 1900, a former schoolteacher destroyed three saloons using bricks, rocks, and a billiard ball—all to advance the cause of temperance.—
The Atlantic Science Desk,
The Atlantic,
27 Dec. 2025
-
The financial incentive for airports and airlines to serve alcohol precludes temperance as a solution.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Critics accuse him of enabling repression and politicizing the armed forces, while supporters portray him as a stabilizing figure.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In June only Israel attacked Iran’s apparatus of repression.—
The Wall Street Journal,
Twin Cities,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
China’s true constraints Beijing has not refrained from action against Taiwan out of deference to international law and norms.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
That work—integrating hardware, software, sensors, safety systems, and real-world constraints—remains enormously difficult, slow, and capital-intensive.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But, at a moment when big narrative audio studios are shuttering, loads of people are being laid off and fewer documentary series are being made, this sentence really struck a nerve in the industry of folks who produce, write, edit and sound design longform narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
New York — Tech stocks took a bruising this week as nerves persist about expensive valuations and a potential artificial intelligence bubble.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Most of those seeds require some bit of cold weather exposure or other mitigating factor to overcome the inhibition and set the stage for a more sensible spring germination.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Nov. 2025
-
The key is to relax, let go of your inhibitions, and just have fun.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The federal government has acknowledged these limitations.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
By turning a mechanical limitation into an advantage, the team has opened a new direction for soft robotics research.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restraint. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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