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
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 sanctions
Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Such lifting of sanctions all but guarantees that the Iranian regime will be bolstered mere months after protests brought it to the brink of collapse.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
The lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil—dependent on Iran’s compliance with the broader agreement—will also mean greater flows of oil out of the Middle East over time, Zwick says, especially as Iran is an oil-rich country.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 June 2026
Only if a final agreement follows on this provisional one will Iran be provided with $300 billion and the lifting of all sanctions, including those linked to terrorism, its ballistic-missile program, and human-rights abuses.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
In recent efforts to intensify the strain on Cuba, the White House placed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and various businesses on the island.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
While the opening of the strait is a key element of the agreement, what Iran and its government need is immediate economic and sanctions relief.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations at the court.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
In return, Iran would be relieved of the economic sanctions placed on the country.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 June 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
The federal judge handling the case has scheduled a hearing for next month to determine whether federal prosecutors should face sanctions in the case.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Such lifting of sanctions all but guarantees that the Iranian regime will be bolstered mere months after protests brought it to the brink of collapse.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
The lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil—dependent on Iran’s compliance with the broader agreement—will also mean greater flows of oil out of the Middle East over time, Zwick says, especially as Iran is an oil-rich country.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 June 2026
Only if a final agreement follows on this provisional one will Iran be provided with $300 billion and the lifting of all sanctions, including those linked to terrorism, its ballistic-missile program, and human-rights abuses.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
In recent efforts to intensify the strain on Cuba, the White House placed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and various businesses on the island.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
While the opening of the strait is a key element of the agreement, what Iran and its government need is immediate economic and sanctions relief.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations at the court.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
In return, Iran would be relieved of the economic sanctions placed on the country.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 June 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
-
But when every opportunity must travel through multiple layers of meetings and permissions, delay becomes a strategic choice even when no one chooses it.—
Christopher Washington,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Updated Mastercard’s name for the new product as well as blockchains where permissions are stored.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
If Congress approves the legislation, a seven-member independent commission would oversee the fund.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
-
Instead, the specialized Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approves general procedures for the surveillance on an annual basis.—
Caitlin Reilly,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
That matters because insurer AI systems reviewing prior authorizations or determining medical necessity depend entirely on the quality of those inputs.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2026
-
Pushback against 'private authorizations' More than half of requests for either long-term care or rehabilitation were rejected by major private insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans, according to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The school board is scheduled to vote on the agreement during its meeting on Tuesday, but the union urged an earlier vote, saying teachers could return Monday if the board ratifies the deal by then.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Others feel that the treaty effectively ratifies something that already exists.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This means cost-sharing for stormwater improvements will continue to be structured by the 83/17 split for decades to come – unless GLWA consents to renegotiating the deal.—
Nicole Van Lier,
The Conversation,
13 May 2026
-
Failure to provide additional information or consents will be grounds for disqualification, unless prohibited under applicable law.—
Time,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Achieving criticality confirms that the design can sustain the nuclear reactions required for future energy production.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
-
Global search data confirms growing interest in cultural districts and nightlife, with San Francisco's Castro district seeing a 157% search increase.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctions. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
