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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 restraint
Cupp shared records with NPR documenting some of those incidents, but the district did not report all of them as seclusion and restraint.
—
Dylan Peers McCoy, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
In short, the necessary ingredients of all-in AI innovation won’t be enmeshed in the AI Continent keystones, which, regrettably, ultimately the restraints and limits on AI will undermine the upbeat and rosy aspirations accordingly.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The easiest way to differentiate a tantrum from restraint collapse is to pay attention to how your child reacts to intervention during a meltdown.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
The demands for restraint would have come from Europe and the White House, where during four years, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. sometimes tried, and often failed, to contain Mr. Netanyahu’s impulses.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Dylan Peers McCoy, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
In short, the necessary ingredients of all-in AI innovation won’t be enmeshed in the AI Continent keystones, which, regrettably, ultimately the restraints and limits on AI will undermine the upbeat and rosy aspirations accordingly.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The easiest way to differentiate a tantrum from restraint collapse is to pay attention to how your child reacts to intervention during a meltdown.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
The demands for restraint would have come from Europe and the White House, where during four years, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. sometimes tried, and often failed, to contain Mr. Netanyahu’s impulses.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraint
Noun
-
Finch was unimpressed with his team’s offensive game plan discipline in the face of a desperate defense.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Jackson has good strength and checks several other boxes (53 career games, high football character and discipline with few penalties).—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some cities and retailers banned plastic straws, and a few states imposed restrictions.—
Hiroko Tabuchi,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Judges have recently blocked or suspended efforts by the Trump administration to ban transgender people from the military, abolish the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and to place restrictions on birthright citizenship.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Supporters aligned with the temperance movement used Weston’s walks to advance their agenda—since Weston was a teetotaler, sponsors and cheerleaders trumpeted his feats as evidence that sobriety was healthy.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Mar. 2025
-
For instance, trust will be eroded when a person demonstrates a lack of temperance, which manifests as being agitated, impatient, inattentive, rash, and anxious instead of being composed, patient, prudent, self-controlled, and calm.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Throughout the show, Kelvin has been so repressed, and that repression has manifested in incredible ways, like the God Squad and the Smut Busters.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2025
-
There were militarized zones that reasserted a semblance of order through repression as well as cults of personality organized around a leader’s ability to provide a sense of purpose.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The constraints and challenges that stand in the way of developing these capabilities are real.—
ANDREW S. LIM,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
That pivot involved epistemic uncertainty—consumer behavior, bandwidth constraints, and content rights.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Following a diabetic-friendly diet can help control blood glucose levels and prevent complications such as kidney, nerve, and eye damage.3 Can People With Diabetes Eat Bananas?—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Parasympathetic nerves emerge in the brain and brainstem, and sympathetic nerves arise from the spinal cord.—
Tony Sanchez,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His research team, in partnership with associate professor Sakiko Okumoto at Texas A&M University, hopes to study plant mechanisms in sorghum and capitalize on its innate ability to inhibit nitrogen loss, a process known as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI).—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Read More: 8 Things to Say During a Fight With Your Partner Swearing seems to help people shed their social inhibitions, according to Stephens, one of the study’s authors.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Read product labels for specific uses and limitations.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Elderly adults are more susceptible to diseases, impairments and mobility limitations that require prescription drugs and accessories like walkers, shower seats, incontinence products, pacemakers and insulin pumps.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restraint. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share