as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
you cannot make a student video without your faculty advisor's sanction of its subject matter prior to shooting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to approve
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
the administration will sanction almost any field trip with educational value
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sanction
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Trump reportedly asked advisers in 2019 about a military invasion of Venezuela during a meeting about sanctions against Maduro.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Christian Orozco, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Joseph previously worked for an Emirati company, Global Shipping Group, and was also the signatory for three other tankers sanctioned for transporting Iranian crude oil.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanction
Noun
Despite months of military build-up, the escalation into a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory in February 2022 and the subsequent imposition of sweeping and continuously expanding sanctions came as a major shock to thousands of transnational corporations.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Trump reportedly asked advisers in 2019 about a military invasion of Venezuela during a meeting about sanctions against Maduro.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
The two companies being sanctioned are Rosneft and Lukoil and some of their subsidiaries, the statement said.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Joseph previously worked for an Emirati company, Global Shipping Group, and was also the signatory for three other tankers sanctioned for transporting Iranian crude oil.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanction
Noun
-
Customers in Texas and Arizona can receive parcels from the flying delivery liaisons, and Amazon has received beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) permissions from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which means the drones can, theoretically, start to scale for delivery.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
-
There’s a particular kind of excellence that happens when Black women stop waiting for permission and just build.—
Essence,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jeri said the measure, starting just after midnight and approved by the Council of Ministers, authorizes the deployment of the armed forces alongside the police to maintain public order.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
At that time, voters approved extending a capital-improvement property tax at the current rate to fund six categories of projects, including a new Little Rock District Court facility.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lawmakers from both major political parties have expressed concerns about Trump ordering the military actions without receiving authorization from Congress or providing many details.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Employees represented by United Auto Workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant workers will hold a strike authorization vote next week, following the company’s final offer last month.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Actors’ Equity reached a tentative agreement with the League Saturday over a new contract, as part of a mediation session, and members are set to vote whether to ratify the agreement in the coming days.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
All the tentative agreements still need to be ratified by union members.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Initially approved by the county board in August, a more detailed description of the project, complete with a higher price tag, appeared on the supervisors’ consent calendar this week, sailing through without debate.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Other information about the winner is released only with the winner's consent.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanction. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share