RESTRAINT Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

restraint

noun

ri-ˈstrānt

Definition of restraint

as in discipline

the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others it will take a great deal of restraint to keep from telling her how ugly that dress is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in restriction

something that limits one's freedom of action or choice civil libertarians contend that the new laws place too many restraints on our constitutionally guaranteed rights

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in temperance

the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions he shows very little restraint or tact when expressing his opinions about others

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 restraint Safety by default standards also place limits on the manipulation, algorithmic restraint and other addictive mechanisms that may lead to psychological harm in vulnerable populations such as young people. — Ari Lightman, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 In his friendships, Mandell imposed a restraint that made possible the free flow of emotional generosity. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Erica Billups said her son and daughter rode Goliath about an hour before Kariem’s death and encountered a problem with the restraint on one seat. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 Yet Schmidt has the advantage of legislative experience and a clearly articulated commitment to fiscal restraint. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for restraint

Recent Examples of Synonyms for restraint

Noun

Today, a fourth discipline has quietly become just as important.

— Tom Wicky, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
But Roger remembers the particular discipline of working on low-budget film productions, when stock and time were precious and rolling the camera was consequential.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

The resulting restrictions can, in turn, constrain power generation and hamper economic growth.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Lamy, now with the Jacques Delors Institute, was one of the authors of a recent policy paper that called for restrictions on Chinese exports using a quota system — an idea that the EU has now embraced.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of restriction

Noun

As the temperance movement grew, the Besley Brewery attempted to change with the times, but was later sold around 1912.

— Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Founded in 1961 by a puppeteer who acquired a former Victorian temperance hall damaged during the Blitz of World War II, the theater holds one of the world’s last remaining double marionette bridges, suitable for long-string puppets.

— Kelly Kasulis Cho, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of temperance

Noun

The future of Indian democracy hinges on whether this contest opens up more democratic space or leads to greater repression.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
To play Sebastian, Guitarrica had to immerse himself in the character’s emotional repression, from which music is his only escape.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

The millimeter-wide arrangements of around 10,000 nerves and supporting cells sat on microelectrode arrays that let researchers stimulate the tissue and record its activity.

— Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Steven Huefner, deputy director of the Election Law Program at Ohio State University, says poll chaplains might be able to calm the frayed nerves of a voting public that is constantly exposed to divisive rhetoric and news about political violence.

— Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of nerve

Noun

In my experience, the involvement of ketamine or other drugs invariably makes a bad situation worse – complicating consent, impairing judgment and reducing inhibitions.

— Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Many visual motifs emerge, most notably the men in the crowd who shed any inhibitions to cry, dance, and belt the songs at the top of their lungs.

— Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of inhibition

Noun

Airscope overcomes this limitation by delivering a large field of view in a design light enough for animals to wear freely.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Meta insisted its recent operational incidents come from technical limitations rather than any partiality.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of limitation

Browse Nearby Words

restrains

restraint

restraints

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restraint. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of restraint

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vocation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes