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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constraint
Her colleague Maria Amato adds a harder constraint — the most effective leadership development happens on the job, inside the relationships management layers exist to create.
—
Cindy Rodriguez Constable,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
How supply chains are slowing defense production S&P Global Ratings found the same constraint.
—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
These include monetary policy, supply constraints, and investor psychology, all of which can play a significant role in short-term price movements.
—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Cindy Rodriguez Constable,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
How supply chains are slowing defense production S&P Global Ratings found the same constraint.
—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
These include monetary policy, supply constraints, and investor psychology, all of which can play a significant role in short-term price movements.
—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
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Cornelius Houston will face charges of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit other felony and unlawful restraint, according to Fort Worth jail records.
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Martin's family believes that the long paramedic response time, as well as restraint asphyxia caused by Oakland police officers, caused Martin's death.
Noun
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Last week, the UK government banned social media for under-16s starting next year, modeling its restrictions on those set by the Australian government in December.
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Some of the restrictions were partially or fully reversed after public backlash and court challenges.
Noun
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These episodes have been triggered by intense heat domes — stubborn areas of high pressure that lock hot air in place — and are clearly supercharged by global warming, experts say.
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Even as the communist country proposes reforms, the United States continues a pressure campaign, ramping up economic sanctions and maintaining an oil embargo that has plunged much of the island into darkness.
Noun
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Platforms built around incentive capture, funding cost discipline and structural durability are well-positioned to deliver the hedge that households are now actively seeking.
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The Honorary Award is given to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or outstanding service to the Academy.
Noun
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There won't be any ticket limitations per customer, and parking will be free.
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The researchers addressed that limitation by increasing the surface area of the carbon electrode and loading it with vanadium oxide, a material that can store a large amount of energy.
Noun
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At a time like this, poetry must embrace a compulsion for awareness.
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There’s this prevailing sentiment of perseverance in spite of grief, and a compulsion to dedicate his success to those who witnessed the journey.
Noun
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Anderson Daniel Salcedo Lozano, 22, grew up amid the chaos of the Maduro years, which were marked by long lines for bread and medicine, rising infant mortality, spiraling inflation and the violent repression of protests.
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In Venezuela, where confidence in institutions had already eroded after years of economic collapse and political repression, the earthquake may be accelerating that process.
Noun
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Darkness removes that inhibition and allows the pineal gland to release melatonin.
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The little people are being menaced by a dark force—a force with power, money, and very few moral inhibitions.
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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