as in dissuaded
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action
we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail
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Recent Examples of deterred
Both had apparently assumed, prior to October 7th, that Hamas could be deterred by periodic eruptions of overwhelming violence, or else be bought off by cash from Qatar.
—
Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
But even with only a handful of conversations that day, Stanley wasn’t deterred.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately, families often see the financial aid package and are deflated or deterred.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
The ad has apparently deterred spring breakers from visiting Miami and inspired alternative trips to Sunny Isles and Fort Lauderdale.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025
There’s a key difference between being deterred by obstacles and learning from them.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The Crimson Tide held a slim 40-36 lead after the first half, but the Colonials were not deterred even after Alabama extended the lead in the second.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2025
And yet, neither legacy distilleries nor upstart brands have been deterred.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2025
Completely misreading Hamas, the army believed that it was deterred from attacking Israel by the outcome of previous fighting.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
But even with only a handful of conversations that day, Stanley wasn’t deterred.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately, families often see the financial aid package and are deflated or deterred.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
The ad has apparently deterred spring breakers from visiting Miami and inspired alternative trips to Sunny Isles and Fort Lauderdale.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025
There’s a key difference between being deterred by obstacles and learning from them.
—Glenn Llopis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The Crimson Tide held a slim 40-36 lead after the first half, but the Colonials were not deterred even after Alabama extended the lead in the second.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2025
And yet, neither legacy distilleries nor upstart brands have been deterred.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2025
Completely misreading Hamas, the army believed that it was deterred from attacking Israel by the outcome of previous fighting.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deterred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterred. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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