How to Use self-denial in a Sentence
self-denial
noun-
Old family patterns or inner-child wounds could surface, not to derail you, but to remind you that leadership doesn’t mean emotional self-denial.
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Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
21 Dec. 2025
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What begins as an effortful act of self-denial gradually becomes an expression of identity.
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Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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On Ash Wednesday, many Christians go to church for a service that emphasizes the start of a season of reflection, self-denial and repentance from sin.
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ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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At the beginning of her relationship with John, Carolyn’s central problem was that being part of the Kennedy family demanded some level of self-denial.
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Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Automatic contributions, delayed payment windows, small rituals that add friction to impulse spending — these are all behavioral architecture moves, not acts of self-denial.
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Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
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Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.
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Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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When the connection between them intensifies, Daniel becomes unsatisfied with clandestine hookups, wanting more, while Jack’s self-denial and wariness of potential exposure are tough habits to kick.
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David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-denial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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