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
This includes President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir Putin of Russia engaging in arms control agreements, along with deterring the Iranian pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
—
Brooke Taylor, Boston Herald, 24 July 2025
Otherwise, those lawsuits could deter pharmaceutical companies from marketing and developing vaccines, which would create a grave threat to vaccination rates and public health.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
There is a stone wall near the new beach that helps stabilize it, as well as dry prairie grasses meant to deter birds, which contributed to the bacteria levels in the water.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 July 2025
This is not a mechanical keyboard, which may deter some buyers, but a lack of mechanical switches is common in this segment of the market.
—Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deter
Brooke Taylor, Boston Herald, 24 July 2025
Otherwise, those lawsuits could deter pharmaceutical companies from marketing and developing vaccines, which would create a grave threat to vaccination rates and public health.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
There is a stone wall near the new beach that helps stabilize it, as well as dry prairie grasses meant to deter birds, which contributed to the bacteria levels in the water.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 July 2025
This is not a mechanical keyboard, which may deter some buyers, but a lack of mechanical switches is common in this segment of the market.
—Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter
Verb
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The disclosures aim to dissuade analysts from taking buy-side offers.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
25 July 2025
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Ormond alleges that after the incident, her CAA agents sought to dissuade her from reporting it — a charge CAA also denies.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Covering the soil with a ½ inch of coarse sand or fine gravel can also discourage egg laying.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 July 2025
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In some cities, local law enforcement is discouraged from cooperating with federal immigration officials, while in others local authorities just don't actively involve themselves in immigration enforcement.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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