1
as in treaties
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples
the two countries signed a peace covenant that, it was hoped, would put an end to decades of bitter conflict
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2
as in contracts
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
I had to sign a covenant that I would return the rental car on time
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3
as in agreements
an arrangement about action to be taken
the covenant that existed among neighbors in olden times whereby they would quickly respond to the call to help put out one another's house fires
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1
as in bargains
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action
a traditional rule held that a husband could not enter into a covenant with his wife, because that was the equivalent of covenanting with himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promises
to make a solemn declaration of intent
the home buyers had to covenant that they would restore and keep the house for at least 10 years in exchange for a low mortgage rate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of covenants
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
Unlike public market debt, these loans can be tailored to reflect the realities of a business’s growth curve, with covenants and amortization schedules negotiated to meet company needs.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
According to a news release from Harrell’s office, there have been at least two covenants restricting a property’s future use as a grocery store on properties within Seattle.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2025
Most of the racial covenants were placed in 1925; another dozen or so were added in 1951.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
Lenders will demand stricter terms, higher coupons, and tighter covenants.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Once inhabited by some of the city’s wealthiest families, Troost was the target of restrictive covenants in the early 20th century that drew a distinct line of separation.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Despite racial covenants, redlining, urban renewal, and blockbusting, the Brown family managed to purchase their first home in 1950.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
The wide-ranging pact also includes amendment of a forbearance agreement with Palomar’s lenders, a requirement that lenders created after the public health care district breached financial covenants on more than $700 million in revenue bond debt.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
Unlike public market debt, these loans can be tailored to reflect the realities of a business’s growth curve, with covenants and amortization schedules negotiated to meet company needs.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
According to a news release from Harrell’s office, there have been at least two covenants restricting a property’s future use as a grocery store on properties within Seattle.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2025
Most of the racial covenants were placed in 1925; another dozen or so were added in 1951.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
Lenders will demand stricter terms, higher coupons, and tighter covenants.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Once inhabited by some of the city’s wealthiest families, Troost was the target of restrictive covenants in the early 20th century that drew a distinct line of separation.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Despite racial covenants, redlining, urban renewal, and blockbusting, the Brown family managed to purchase their first home in 1950.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenants
Noun
-
In the 1700s, that began to change as American colonists took the land through brutal warfare, inequitable treaties and exploitative policies.—
Christine Keiner,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The appropriations were meant to provide homes for the tribes in Northern California who were without lands due to unratified treaties.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kross and Scarlett made headlines after their departures from WWE in August, following the expiration of their contracts.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trump announced agreements with four Southeast Asian countries.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Other governments are signing nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, China, and the United States.—
W. Gyude Moore,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of the studios, congratulated Mulroney on her election.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Oscar nominee and Lord of the Rings alum Astin will have quite the task ahead of them at the top of next year as SAG-AFTRA returns to the negotiating table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which collectively bargains on behalf of the major Hollywood studios.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The new lineup, which builds on Qualcomm’s neural processing unit (NPU) technology leadership, promises rack-scale performance with superior memory capacity.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
ExpressVPN only takes around five minutes to set up, and also promises lightning-quick connectivity and 24-hour live-chat support, and allows users to connect to any device, from computers to phones to tablets.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The new trade pacts with Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are set to unlock new investment and market opportunities, with practical impacts on sectors ranging from agriculture and energy to semiconductors and automobiles.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Netflix and Comcast are themselves in advanced negotiations for their own pacts.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
First, there are no guarantees as to how your money will be spent.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The model seems to, in automotive terms, refine the stylistic conventions of the 1950s while perfectly complementing Britain’s edgier Mod ethos of the subsequent decade.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The family even goes to Halloween conventions for inspiration and to find the best costumes and props.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Covenants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenants. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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