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
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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
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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
Both movements emerged from similar circumstances and serve as reactions to censorship, repression, and the ideological constraints of the Islamic Republic.
—
Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
This disparagement was part of Netanyahu’s broader efforts to weaken judges’ role and independence and to remove judicial constraints on executive power.
—Michael Gregory, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Still, in the absence of any frontier AI regulation from Congress, Anthropic’s RSP is one of the few existing constraints on the behavior of any AI company.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 22 May 2025
New Organization And Team Operating Model AI technology by itself will not yield value until there is an openness to take a fresh look at business processes and combine them with resource and tech dependency with no constraints.
—Balmukund Shukla, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
This disparagement was part of Netanyahu’s broader efforts to weaken judges’ role and independence and to remove judicial constraints on executive power.
—Michael Gregory, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Still, in the absence of any frontier AI regulation from Congress, Anthropic’s RSP is one of the few existing constraints on the behavior of any AI company.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 22 May 2025
New Organization And Team Operating Model AI technology by itself will not yield value until there is an openness to take a fresh look at business processes and combine them with resource and tech dependency with no constraints.
—Balmukund Shukla, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
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After George Floyd was killed in 2020, many police departments across the country banned or restricted the knee-on-neck restraint.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
27 May 2025
-
Rickson stages both plays with elegant restraint, arranging just a few bits of furniture in front of a bare brick wall.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
At the center of the disagreement is Max, a six-year-old German Shepherd who’s been staying with her boyfriend’s parents due to previous apartment restrictions.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
1 June 2025
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Airlines like Malaysia's AirAsia announced similar restrictions on portable chargers on April 1, while Thailand’s Thai Airways also introduced comparable rules in recent months.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2025
Noun
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The France captain arrived last summer with pressure on his shoulders from being a longstanding target for the club and its president, Florentino Perez, since his breakthrough at Monaco in 2016-17.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Ukraine’s European allies have seen an increase in instances of sabotage, cyber incidents and arson attacks linked to Russia, an attempt by Moscow to put more pressure on Kyiv-friendly governments by trying to show their voters that supporting Kyiv comes with a cost.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Such defensive discipline and intelligent street-smarts have meant that Inzaghi’s side have trailed for just 16 minutes across the whole Champions League campaign — just one per cent of their total time on the pitch.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Currently, the Academy is composed of 19 branches, each representing a specific discipline within the industry, with the newest Production and Technology Branch created in 2023, and the split of the animation feature and shorts in 2024.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Risks and limitations At high doses, the drug can cause adverse health issues that affect cardiovascular, respiratory and neurologic function, which can be fatal, said the American Addiction Centers website.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
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Confronted with the limitations of time and money in a difficult custom market for midsize superyachts, brands and designers are dreaming up semi-custom designs.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Adults who adopt this tactic are diagnosed with repetition compulsion.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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The compulsion to check emails late at night has diminished, and our company culture now fosters rest and recovery just as much as ambition and drive.—
Adam Stott,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This victory is an unexpected and powerful blow to the machinery of repression in the Islamic Republic.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 May 2025
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Both movements emerged from similar circumstances and serve as reactions to censorship, repression, and the ideological constraints of the Islamic Republic.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Practices like meditation or simply taking a moment to pause before switching tasks, help strengthen networks connected to the prefrontal cortex—the region that is notably involved in planning, inhibition and sustained attention.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
27 May 2025
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This allows hurricanes to form and sustain longer without inhibition or limiting.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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