as in to dissuade
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail
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Recent Examples of deter
None of that deterred her from the challenge in Cortina.
—
Becky Sullivan, NPR, 6 May 2026
Plus, the running water deters mosquitoes from laying eggs—unlike stillwater, which can become a breeding hotspot.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
Add a few drops of the oil to a spray bottle of water and spray wood structures to deter the bees.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
The county launched a new webpage to connect local businesses with relief resources and posted signage to deter unauthorized use and access to county property.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Becky Sullivan, NPR, 6 May 2026
Plus, the running water deters mosquitoes from laying eggs—unlike stillwater, which can become a breeding hotspot.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
Add a few drops of the oil to a spray bottle of water and spray wood structures to deter the bees.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
The county launched a new webpage to connect local businesses with relief resources and posted signage to deter unauthorized use and access to county property.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter
Verb
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He is also accused of dissuading a victim and destroying a communication device.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Block Perching and Nesting Spots Removing areas where pigeons like to perch or nest, such as empty planters or dense vegetation, can dissuade them from taking up residence in your yard.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Formulate federal policies that discourage California lawmakers from burdening its citizens.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Reincke worries the hype about AI replacing radiologists entirely may discourage medical students.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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