as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
trying to summon the willpower to resist buying any more books before finishing the unread ones I already have
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of willpower
For now, customers at the Towson Place restaurant in Maryland can test their willpower — and earn a sweet reward for the effort.
—
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Jelly Roll’s transformation started with curiosity, not willpower.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
Her Majesty paraded in a low-cut body clinging outfit which was held up by sheer willpower.
—Joshua John Miller, Vanity Fair, 9 Apr. 2026
The archival, iconic footage of Jordan scoring 38 points while dealing with illness in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was intended to inspire willpower in a Bruins team that had run shakily out of the starting gate in its last two tournament games.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for willpower
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Jelly Roll’s transformation started with curiosity, not willpower.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
Her Majesty paraded in a low-cut body clinging outfit which was held up by sheer willpower.
—Joshua John Miller, Vanity Fair, 9 Apr. 2026
The archival, iconic footage of Jordan scoring 38 points while dealing with illness in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was intended to inspire willpower in a Bruins team that had run shakily out of the starting gate in its last two tournament games.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for willpower
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willpower
Noun
-
Told with exacting restraint yet as layered as the lacquer on an ebony Biedermeier console, this forms a loose triptych with Pawlikowski’s last two features, Ida and Cold War, both of which were set at least partly behind the Iron Curtain.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
For the Dior cruise show in Los Angeles, Peter Philips treated glow with the restraint of good lighting.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Stress lights up the brain’s threat circuits in the amygdala and quiets the prefrontal cortex — the region responsible for reasoning and self-control.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
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Within the brain, executive functions include skills like behavioral self-control, attention, mental flexibility, and working memory.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Willpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willpower. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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