1
as in restraint
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
in civilized society people do not just say or do whatever they feel like—they exercise some constraint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
put legal constraints on the board's activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
parental constraint can take several different forms, including a denial of the approval that children usually seek from their parents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constraint
In Trump’s case, the Secret Service would then be in communication with emergency services, stadium personnel and private security agencies at the event to conduct the most comprehensive checks possible given the time constraints.
—
Elias Burke, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Given the constraints, the Royals are well-served to stay vigilant and opportunistic but let this unspool some more for now.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
These biases and constraints can manifest at all levels of business, not just in individuals.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 11 July 2025
White House officials say there isn’t an active effort underway to try and remove Powell, a longstanding Trump fixation that advisers have dissuaded him from pursuing due to significant concerns over legal constraints and market reaction.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Elias Burke, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Given the constraints, the Royals are well-served to stay vigilant and opportunistic but let this unspool some more for now.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
These biases and constraints can manifest at all levels of business, not just in individuals.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 11 July 2025
White House officials say there isn’t an active effort underway to try and remove Powell, a longstanding Trump fixation that advisers have dissuaded him from pursuing due to significant concerns over legal constraints and market reaction.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
-
At its core, Wimbledon is a British brand built on restraint: the all-white dress code, the absence of in-your-face, on-court branding, the strawberries and cream.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Critics say Trump has only become more dangerous, pursuing radical ideas without restraint.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Starting in the 1970s, home construction plummeted and prices soared in high-opportunity coastal cities because of restrictions on supply.—
Marina Bolotnikova,
Vox,
7 July 2025
-
The company said in a statement that inventory value adjustments and the impact of U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chips for China had contributed to the decline in profits.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
This candid conversation explores trust, strategy, career milestones, and the unfiltered reality of navigating fame, pressure, and performance together.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
14 July 2025
-
As coffee lovers become more knowledgeable and discerning about the sourcing, roasting, brewing, sustainability and taste of coffee, this creates pressure on the hospitality industry to meet their expectations.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
But the promise of fiscal discipline has become a straightjacket.—
Oliver Eagleton,
Time,
5 July 2025
-
Prior to Vida, the Fort Wayne native studied culinary disciplines including butchery at Ivy Tech's Fort Wayne and Indianapolis campuses.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
And that our natural limitations are not just physical, but also social and cognitive.—
Pia Lauritzen,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Over the years, however, that limitation has been dropped.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Harboring a tragedy from her past, Johansson smooths Zora's rough edges with a compulsion to keep everyone protected, even at the expense of her own safety.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
But when care becomes compulsion, and when support turns into self-sacrifice, the relationship begins to lose balance.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Mac's deeply closeted, Catholic-guilty homosexuality had been treated as a joke throughout the show's run, with the joke never truly being about Mac being gay, but about how his desperate repression had twisted him into a caricature of grasping masculinity.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
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The costs of academic repression, in other words, are not confined to elite institutions—they are borne by everyone.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Before the month comes to a close, Mercury will station retrograde in Leo, activating your 12th house of secrets, surrender and your subconscious, bringing up old memories or inhibitions that have been clouding your clarity.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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Reservations and inhibitions have a way of slipping away in the Snake Pit.—
Shari Rudavsky,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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