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
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Recent Examples of sanctions
Manuel Rueda, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
With the victory, Babiš would join the ranks of Prime Ministers Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia, whose countries have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine, continue to import Russian oil and oppose European Union sanctions on Russia.
—Karel Janicek, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
The poll, which has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, also asked about specific sanctions, revealing strong support for all of them.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Each country has slightly different goals with their cyber attacks; North Korea, said Hannigan, has traditionally tried to use cyber operations to raise cash and lessen the strain of sanctions.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Russia has spent too many resources to withstand the pressure of Western sanctions.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
China doesn’t just have the ability to soak up punishment from the US in the form of tariffs and sanctions — the culmination of decades of Chinese industrial policy aimed at self-reliance in core technologies.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The purchases come despite Taiwan’s opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine, backed by some sanctions on Moscow.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
The sanctions, which will go into effect unless there’s a last-minute deal Friday, will include freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalizing any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
Manuel Tique, a 32-year-old humanitarian worker, is among a growing number of foreign nationals detained by Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian government as Venezuela faces economic sanctions and political isolation from the United States and Europe.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
With the victory, Babiš would join the ranks of Prime Ministers Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia, whose countries have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine, continue to import Russian oil and oppose European Union sanctions on Russia.
—Karel Janicek, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
The poll, which has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, also asked about specific sanctions, revealing strong support for all of them.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Each country has slightly different goals with their cyber attacks; North Korea, said Hannigan, has traditionally tried to use cyber operations to raise cash and lessen the strain of sanctions.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Russia has spent too many resources to withstand the pressure of Western sanctions.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
China doesn’t just have the ability to soak up punishment from the US in the form of tariffs and sanctions — the culmination of decades of Chinese industrial policy aimed at self-reliance in core technologies.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The purchases come despite Taiwan’s opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine, backed by some sanctions on Moscow.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
The sanctions, which will go into effect unless there’s a last-minute deal Friday, will include freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalizing any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctions
Noun
-
The same concerns exist for tech companies seeking government permissions to grow their businesses through acquisitions.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Actions that were previously considered low-risk, like writing a simple script, become high-stakes when performed by an AI agent with broad permissions.—
Marco Argenti,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The commission, comprising 17 voting members, selects a preferred candidate, whom the Prime Minister then approves.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Each fiscal year, Congress approves funding for federal agencies.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Selznick said the necessary approvals were secured before the shutdown for some new products that are rolling out in the first few months of 2019, but new label authorizations were on hold since the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau was closed.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
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In doing so, Washington is further blurring the line between law enforcement and military operations, utilizing questionable authorizations while providing few details on strikes targeting small vessels said to be from Venezuela.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Terms of the agreement won’t be made public until after the union ratifies the contract and the board reviews it, the statement said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Failure to provide additional information or consents will be grounds for disqualification, unless prohibited under applicable law.—
Time,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
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Before allowing the use of advertising pixels, cookies or other tracking tools, businesses should investigate what those technologies collect, how that data will be used and what disclosures or consents are required.—
Jodi Daniels,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first release of The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw poll confirms the intrigue involved in a Week 7 Big Ten matchup of undefeated teams led by breakout transfer quarterbacks.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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This confirms ongoing speculation that, after the exit of Kim Jones from his role as artistic director of haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections for women in October last year, more changes could be taking place at the brand.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctions. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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