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as in to discourage
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action a fundamental sense of propriety should have inhibited you from making a drunken spectacle of yourself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inhibit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inhibit are forbid, interdict, and prohibit. While all these words mean "to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done," inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation.

conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

When is forbid a more appropriate choice than inhibit?

The words forbid and inhibit can be used in similar contexts, but forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected.

smoking is forbidden in the building

When is it sensible to use interdict instead of inhibit?

While in some cases nearly identical to inhibit, interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose.

practices interdicted by the church

When might prohibit be a better fit than inhibit?

The synonyms prohibit and inhibit are sometimes interchangeable, but prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations.

prohibited the sale of liquor

Examples 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 inhibit Garlic compounds, such as allicin and diallyl sulfide, can help inhibit inflammatory proteins and enhance immune cell activity. Jillian Kubala, Health, 10 Dec. 2024 Natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes can obviously inhibit all manner of production that might slow global cooperation in production or the arrival of a crucial input in the creation of a market good. John Tamny, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 Supporters of the pact argued that failure to renew it would not only imperil government-to-government collaboration in vital areas such as climate change and public health, but also inhibit academic cooperation between the world’s two biggest economies. Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2024 Training wheels can inhibit this process by teaching children to depend on external balance aids instead of their own bodies. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inhibit 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibit
Verb
  • This intergenerational transfer of wealth while providing essential support to parents and grandparents often impedes young adults’ ability to accumulate wealth.
    Noreen Sugrue, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Congress has delegated much of its foreign economic authority to the White House, but the biggest speed bump impeding Trump's ability to impose tariffs on Canada may be a trade deal negotiated under Trump himself: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Ayurvedic practitioners have claimed that oil pulling can reduce plaque, prevent gingivitis, and regulate bad breath per a 2014 Vogue article, and the practice remains relevant a decade later.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2025
  • But TikTok has fought the law at every turn, arguing that the U.S. government is overstepping its bounds by attempting to regulate foreign ownership of a private company.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Obama and his inner circle discouraged Biden from running for president in 2016, opting to prop up then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instead.
    Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Jan. 2025
  • And some longtime women's hoops stars have denounced certain supporters of Clark and discouraged them from following the sport.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Biden also issued a sweeping executive order Monday blocking about 625 million acres of offshore areas from future oil and gas drilling, potentially hindering Trump's plans to quickly scale up fossil fuel production.
    Zachary Basu, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
  • This situation affected investor confidence and hindered its stock performance during 2024.
    Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Los Angeles Lakers player James counts himself among those whose property sits close to the perimeter of the ongoing Palisades Fire, which has spread over more than 23,700 acres, and is 17 percent contained, per CAL Fire.
    John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Modernity’s victory wasn’t so much in extinguishing fire, however, as containing it.
    Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • DiVincenzo’s body language did little to dissuade the rumor-mongers.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Outside government, too, a network of U.S. scholars, think tank researchers, activists, and former officials that support nonproliferation have engaged in parallel Track II dialogues with South Korean elites in an attempt to dissuade them from nuclearization.
    Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Which dyes carry more risks than others is also unclear due to the lack of research and funding, which is hampered by industry lobbying, added Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, a nongovernmental organization focused on US nutrition crises.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The delay also gives the two sides time to put the lawsuit to rest, which would otherwise hamper any negotiations.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • As a result, regulators will introduce more stringent rules and frameworks aimed at curbing the harmful effects of false information.
    Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • The situation has been further strained by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian products unless Canada takes action to curb the flow of migrants and drugs into the United States.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near inhibit

Cite this Entry

“Inhibit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibit. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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