CONSTRAINT Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

constraint

noun

kən-ˈstrānt

Definition of constraint

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

as in restriction

something that limits one's freedom of action or choice put legal constraints on the board's activities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 constraint But launching the service, codenamed YouTube Unplugged, would require overcoming three critical constraints. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The DuraCOR 8044 addresses those constraints while providing computing capability for systems that cannot depend on conventional computing infrastructure. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 As more teams look to build out their own infrastructure, the league facilitates how to give its clubs the best possible venues under the constraints. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 Your freedom of movement (and your freedom of opinion) may be limited by the constraints of your health, your workload, or your schedule. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for constraint

Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint

Noun

If the answer is yes, then waiting ceases to be a strategy of restraint and begins to look like gradual erosion of power and strength.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Meghna Gulzar has a very distinctive voice and an ability to approach difficult subjects with both restraint and intensity.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

New York City just instituted a sweeping ban on schools using AI in the classroom through the start of high school, along with other restrictions on the technology.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
Rosaviatsiya -- announced temporary flight restrictions at airports in Sochi, Gelendzhik, Penza, Saratov, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of restriction

Noun

The university, like campuses nationwide, is barred by federal privacy law from discussing individual discipline cases or internal deliberations, even when a student goes public.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Eisenhower possessed iron discipline, sunny self-confidence and a mind that loved organizational challenges.

— John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

The approach is designed around the limitations of small aerial vehicles, where additional weight and continuous motor operation can quickly drain a battery.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Financial constraints might have prevented Jarmond from firing Kelly sooner, but those limitations didn’t prevent him from extending Kelly’s contract in 2023.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of limitation

Noun

The comedian has built her career by wringing laughs out of a compulsion to share her own worst thoughts about her body, life, and career through the lens of a glamorous cabaret diva.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
The administration is right that trust matters more than compulsion alone.

— Katrine Wallace, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of compulsion

Noun

Frequently subjected to repression and censorship, some of them were excluded from the Association of Visual Artists and thus denied access to state funding, exhibition opportunities, commissions, and official recognition as professional artists.

— Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
To reassert discipline, the Kremlin not only ramped up its use of selective repression but often drew on anti-spying legislation to do so.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

As art and its creators have shed their inhibitions in this post-Sadean world, politicians and cultural commentators have reliably lined up to condemn this total freedom of expression as being dangerous to society.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Put inhibitions aside to experience the latest episode of Doc Talk, hosted by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley), and Matt Carey, Deadline’s senior documentary editor.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 June 2026

Definition of inhibition

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constrains

constraint

constraints

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“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of constraint

noun

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