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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 constraint Working as a one-woman crew out of necessity creates a uniquely streamlined production process, freed from filmmaking constraints, so Loktev can focus on her subjects. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 Design your physical space with environmental constraints Your surroundings conspire either for or against you. — Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 Farmers are also navigating rising input costs, water scarcity, tightening margins, labor constraints, and growing expectations around traceability and compliance. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 Solving constraint satisfaction problems exactly can be hard or even impossible. — Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for constraint

Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint

Noun

The Houthis appear to have mistaken Saudi restraint for an inability to act.

— Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Hamas, which has been decimated but not yet unseated, has so far shown relative restraint and a willingness to absorb regular hits, including a series of assassinations of its members and regular airstrikes by Israel.

— KHALED ELGINDY, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

Furthermore, loosening these restrictions risks igniting new supply friction.

— , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
There have been numerous efforts to control campaign spending and the content of political ads, but like water running downhill, politicians manage to get around restrictions.

— Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of restriction

Noun

Parallax credits a young female audience with growing clout for proving that films about gender roles, relationships and social pressure can pull in big numbers.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Much of that unease stems from mounting costs, and the pressure is being felt across the supply chain.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pressure

Noun

At the event, 20 experts from a variety of disciplines crowded into a room in a Fort Lauderdale hotel and tried to address the growing concern of rising carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
The academies hire civilian faculty to offer expertise in topics and disciplines that military officers don’t study as part of their careers, such as English and the humanities.

— Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

But their newfound popularity also brought new attention to their limitations — several studies have shown that pulse oximeters overestimate blood oxygen levels when used on darker skin tones.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Since the players sued in 2024, the claim was filed well after the applicable limitations period expired.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of limitation

Noun

The interior drew its own grim commentary—a few guests expressed feeling a sudden compulsion to jump from the top of the spiral ramp to their death.

— Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Under state law, lack of consent generally must be shown through forcible compulsion or a clear expression of nonconsent.

— Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of compulsion

Noun

The networks were responding in solidarity to repression of a free press.

— Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Drawing on personal archives, home videos, footage of street protests, newspapers and recorded voices, the filmmaker pieces together a portrait of a country shaped by political repression and a continuing hope for revolution.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

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
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

Definition of inhibition

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constrains

constraint

constraints

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Style

“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of constraint

noun

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