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
Water Your Lawn Watering your lawn, even overwatering it a little, can deter these wasps, says Schumacher.
—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
29 June 2026
Monetary awards compensate these victims, deter future transgressions, and, by exposing systemic abuses of power, sometimes bring about meaningful reform.
—
Joel B. Rudin,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2026
So The Free's overall sleeping space is a bit snugger than others but not so snug as to deter ultralight backcountry explorers who are used to sleeping in minimalist shelters.
—
New Atlas,
28 June 2026
Law is designed to resolve disputes, assign responsibility, compensate injury, deter misconduct, and impose duties.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
29 June 2026
Monetary awards compensate these victims, deter future transgressions, and, by exposing systemic abuses of power, sometimes bring about meaningful reform.
—
Joel B. Rudin,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2026
So The Free's overall sleeping space is a bit snugger than others but not so snug as to deter ultralight backcountry explorers who are used to sleeping in minimalist shelters.
—
New Atlas,
28 June 2026
Law is designed to resolve disputes, assign responsibility, compensate injury, deter misconduct, and impose duties.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deter
Verb
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Leaders using this phrase create an unsafe psychological environment, dissuading any dissent or improvement curiosity.
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Nothing in your life has dissuaded you from these early surmises.
Verb
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In 2011, the bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission determined that the crisis was triggered in part by Greenspan’s failure to discourage trade in securities backed by subprime mortgage loans amid an unsustainable housing boom and his promotion of financial industry deregulation.
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The color yellow attracts yellow jackets and other pollinating insects, so the all-red design increases your chances of attracting hummingbirds and discourages bees and wasps from staking claim over the sweet nectar.
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deter. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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