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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deterrent
Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Senior Justice Department officials say bringing cartel figures to the United States is designed to do more than be a deterrent message.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
But the real value of such a treaty is its deterrent effect, discouraging countries from developing such weapons.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Noun
Parking so that your car is facing a wall is a good deterrent, but that’s not always possible.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Senior Justice Department officials say bringing cartel figures to the United States is designed to do more than be a deterrent message.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Reuters reported last week that the fine would be modest, marking a change in Ribera’s approach with her predecessor’s deterrent hefty fines.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
But the real value of such a treaty is its deterrent effect, discouraging countries from developing such weapons.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deterrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterrent
Noun
-
The deadly mass shooting at a school in British Columbia came as Canadian authorities face significant obstacles in rolling out a nationwide firearms buyback that is mired in practical and logistical complications.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Over the next 10 years, the Goo Goo Dolls would follow a trajectory of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and increasingly unlikely triumphs that more closely resembles a fictional underdog team from a Disney movie than a rock band.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One preventive strategy that the International Olympic Committee has been working on is focusing on improving pre-competition assessment of health.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This preventive approach helps stop the cycle of re-victimization that often occurs when harmful content is re-uploaded.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stier / Getty Images Earlier today in the men’s figure skating final, fellow American Maxim Naumov had to skate through a different kind of mental hurdle.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
-
In 2026, residents of Mathews, Mint Hill and Pineville face several specific barriers to health care access ranging from escalating costs to significant geographic and logistical hurdles.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The administration’s framing of the deadly shootings in Minneapolis was part of the motivation for the request to modify the protective order in the case and release the evidence, said Parente.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Consumer electronics researchers are designing self-healing polymers for flexible displays and scratch-prone protective surfaces.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In Japan, tourists flocking to a small town at the base of Mount Fuji to re-create a viral photo caused so many issues that the local government temporarily resorted to erecting a black fabric barrier to block the famous view.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Smith pointed to economic barriers, limited disposable income among buyers and the difficulty of maintaining gallery spaces.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But after a shoulder injury to Trevin Wallace, Rozeboom played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in the last four games, including the wild-card loss to the Rams.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
He was touched by Steelers defensive end Dwight White, who was credited with the sack.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Guevara and two colleagues, then-detectives Michael Mason and Ernest Halvorson, then orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors say a civilian and a military reservist have been indicted for bribery and obstruction of justice, with an undisclosed number of others also arrested for placing Polymarket wagers based on classified information, according to a statement released Thursday by officials in Tel Aviv.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
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But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deterrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterrent. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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