as in permissions
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
you cannot make a student video without your faculty advisor's sanction of its subject matter prior to shooting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in approves
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
the administration will sanction almost any field trip with educational value
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sanctions
Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Alongside peace talks conducted over the past year, the head of Russia’s state fund has frequently met with Witkoff to discuss massive economic deals including the acquisition of Russian energy assets and rare-earth mines, in exchange for bringing Russia sanctions relief.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While the talks were aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, Jafarzadeh argues that for the regime, talks would be nothing more than a tactical delay.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The agency said teachers who facilitate walkouts will be subject to investigation and possible sanctions could include revoking their licenses.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
But being on the outside has also forced the two men to reconsider the why of the US’ foreign policy, in a way that could resonate with listeners unconcerned with the intricacies of semiconductor sanctions or energy markets.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
That includes any disciplinary history, medical malpractice payouts or sanctions by the state medical board.
—Amber Gaudet
updated February 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
The task sounds innocuous enough but, because the country is in the grip of sanctions, every single ingredient that nine-year-old Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef) might use to make her cake is near-impossible to come by.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 19 Feb. 2026
According to multiple sources and internal documents viewed by Fortune, investigators on the company’s compliance team uncovered evidence that entities tied to Iran had received more than $1 billion through the exchange from March 2024 through August 2025, in potential violation of sanctions laws.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
An autocratic government that sanctions violence.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
But some agricultural organizations that represent them have stressed their businesses will be hurt too if the US sanctions South Africa.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
God never sanctions cruelty; love that harms is not love at all.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
Following a brief sanctions shock after the 2022 invasion, Russian military spending surged, and its economy boomed.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Alongside peace talks conducted over the past year, the head of Russia’s state fund has frequently met with Witkoff to discuss massive economic deals including the acquisition of Russian energy assets and rare-earth mines, in exchange for bringing Russia sanctions relief.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
While the talks were aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, Jafarzadeh argues that for the regime, talks would be nothing more than a tactical delay.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The agency said teachers who facilitate walkouts will be subject to investigation and possible sanctions could include revoking their licenses.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
But being on the outside has also forced the two men to reconsider the why of the US’ foreign policy, in a way that could resonate with listeners unconcerned with the intricacies of semiconductor sanctions or energy markets.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
That includes any disciplinary history, medical malpractice payouts or sanctions by the state medical board.
—Amber Gaudet
updated February 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
The task sounds innocuous enough but, because the country is in the grip of sanctions, every single ingredient that nine-year-old Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef) might use to make her cake is near-impossible to come by.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 19 Feb. 2026
According to multiple sources and internal documents viewed by Fortune, investigators on the company’s compliance team uncovered evidence that entities tied to Iran had received more than $1 billion through the exchange from March 2024 through August 2025, in potential violation of sanctions laws.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
For starters the World Cup is run by the same organization, FIFA, which sanctions virtually every level of soccer globally, from the men’s and women’s World Cups, to confederation competitions including the UEFA Championships and the Copa América, to most major age-group tournaments.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
An autocratic government that sanctions violence.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
But some agricultural organizations that represent them have stressed their businesses will be hurt too if the US sanctions South Africa.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
God never sanctions cruelty; love that harms is not love at all.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctions
Noun
-
Developers are required to obtain certain permissions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality before construction on the project can begin.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Remove permissions that are not essential.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The money should land in your account within five days from the date the IRS approves your refund.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The renovations at Hempfield High School will likely be done sometime in 2029, but if the school board approves, the baseball, softball and multipurpose grass fields could all be refurbished by the next school year.—
Christopher DeRose,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Difficult or impossible claim process Pre-authorizations, limited repair-shop options, and long wait times are tactics often used to make the claims process feel impossible or to discourage them altogether.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Matt Faustman is the co-founder and CEO of Honey Health, a company that develops AI tools designed to automate tasks for providers — including managing fax inboxes, processing prior authorizations and retrieving patient records.—
Windsor Johnston,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Deal to cut tariffs and ease regulatory barriers A formal signing of the deal could come later this year after officials go through the legal details of the text and the EU Parliament ratifies it.—
Rajesh Roy,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That most of the general population will raise no objections further ratifies that dismal conclusion.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Failure to provide additional information or consents will be grounds for disqualification, unless prohibited under applicable law.—
Time,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Before allowing the use of advertising pixels, cookies or other tracking tools, businesses should investigate what those technologies collect, how that data will be used and what disclosures or consents are required.—
Jodi Daniels,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The team confirms that Uranus’ upper atmosphere has continued to cool over the past thirty years – a trend that has been surprising scientists for over three decades.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Lafe confirms that under the contract the anglers signed with DTF, the league has 30 calendar days to pay out the tournament winnings.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctions. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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