as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
a man of extraordinary self-containment, he refused to lose his temper even in the most trying of circumstances
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Recent Examples of self-containment
What sets Return apart is its perfect self-containment.
—
Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
And for people who equate maturity with self-containment, that can feel threatening.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Throughout the crisis, her burgeoning friendship with the hostage’s wife, challenges Barb’s usual sense of propriety and self-containment.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Cregger maintains the film’s self-containment.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
And for people who equate maturity with self-containment, that can feel threatening.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Throughout the crisis, her burgeoning friendship with the hostage’s wife, challenges Barb’s usual sense of propriety and self-containment.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Cregger maintains the film’s self-containment.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-containment
restraint
Noun
-
In February 2004, Castaneda Negrete was convicted of first-degree burglary and unlawful restraint, officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
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That restraint could have been used as a moment of national unity and reform.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-containment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-containment. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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