as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the homeowner put up a fence around his garden as a deterrent for animals
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in preventive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deterrent
Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Vale responded by arguing that Trump's frauds impacted consumers by inserting false and misleading information into the marketplace, and that Trump's fine has a deterrent effect.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2024
By Yian Lee / Bloomberg September 20, 2024 4:10 AM EDT
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the death penalty but moved to limit its use, in a decision that strikes a balance between keeping the punishment’s deterrent effect and preventing its abuse.
—Yian Lee / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024
And for many soldiers, the threat of termination was deterrent enough.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Adjective
The First Circuit agreed with the lower court, holding that FBAR penalties — acknowledged to be partly deterrent in nature — are not subject to the constitutional protection against excessive fines.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Vale responded by arguing that Trump's frauds impacted consumers by inserting false and misleading information into the marketplace, and that Trump's fine has a deterrent effect.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2024
By Yian Lee / Bloomberg September 20, 2024 4:10 AM EDT
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the death penalty but moved to limit its use, in a decision that strikes a balance between keeping the punishment’s deterrent effect and preventing its abuse.
—Yian Lee / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024
And for many soldiers, the threat of termination was deterrent enough.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
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Your passion must propel you forward when obstacles arise.—
Jay Ruderman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
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Significant obstacles remain: insufficient private investment, market fragmentation across 27 member states, and regulatory complexity could undermine Europe's ambitions.—
Federico Guerrini,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Physical fitness in older adults should not be viewed as optional, but rather as a core component of preventive care.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The preliminary data, presented Monday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in San Diego, analyzed biomarkers on 54 participants in an ongoing preventive neurology study called the Biorepository Study for Neurodegenerative Diseases, or BioRAND.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These financial hurdles can lead to the perception that technology adoption simply isn’t worth it.—
James Lindsey,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Now that many of the technical hurdles have been cleared, stem cells appear poised to offer a new treatment option for Parkinson's, and perhaps other brain diseases like epilepsy or Alzheimer's.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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They are often arranged in multiple staggered rows and embedded into the ground, sometimes accompanied by trenches or additional barriers to enhance their effectiveness.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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The barrier, essentially the maritime version of a wall, was meant to deter immigrants from crossing in certain areas.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Miami also only allowed 101 points per 100 possessions during its two-game play-in tournament run for a defensive rating that would have ranked No. 1 in the league among teams this regular season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
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The 23-year-old primarily drew a defensive assignment from OG Anunoby, who was dialed in on Cunningham all evening.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Michael was previously arrested in 2020 and charged with a misdemeanor offense of criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
Fox News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Since the start of 2025, 26 drivers have been injured in traffic incidents in Missouri caused by foreign objects or obstructions in the road, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol data.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Around 2010 to 2011, as Woods walked knee-deep in the funk of public embarrassment, endless injuries and a broken swing, the door swung open to players desperate for space in major tournaments.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Maybe Thursday is the start of something, of a retreat from embarrassment.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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