restrictions

noun

plural of restriction
1
as in constraints
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice the logging company decided to relocate to another state where there would be fewer restrictions on its operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in limitations
the act or practice of keeping something (as an activity) within certain boundaries the restriction of surfing to the southern end of the beach rankled some surfers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 restrictions This year, seven states that expanded Medicaid coverage of GLP-1s for weight loss either dropped the benefit or added restrictions to limit eligibility. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026 This past year, Denver Water joined several other municipalities, including Aurora, in issuing drought restrictions that limited outdoor water use amid ongoing drought conditions in Colorado. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 In states like Oklahoma and Florida that have adopted these new SNAP restrictions to discourage unhealthy diets, the number of convenience stores participating in the program has fallen relative to other states that haven’t made these changes. — Benjamin Chrisinger, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 Spain’s transport minister said a computer malfunction disabled a safety system before a central command center ordered one train to move without speed restrictions. — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 The operation, centered in the city of Hebron, has displaced thousands of Palestinians and placed tight restrictions on their movement. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Sign Up for Our Free Daily Newsletter The Department of Health and Human Services announced a loosening of restrictions on six unproven peptides on Wednesday. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 Foot-and-mouth disease spreads rapidly among livestock and can force mass culling, movement restrictions, and trade disruptions. — Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 The Fresno County Code also does not provide specific instructions for backyard pet burials, so pet owners should contact county or city officials to confirm any possible restrictions. — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restrictions
  1. constraints
  2. limitations
Noun
  • Worries have coalesced around whether public opposition or supply chain constraints will limit the buildout, and if revenues will keep up with Big Tech’s breakneck infrastructure spending.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Backers of electric WIGs view them as a more-practical alternative to eVTOLs, or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which face major adoption barriers due to operational constraints and regulatory challenges.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of constraints
Noun
  • Tested on three below-knee amputees, this technique could overcome the limitations of current muscle-signal systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Given the limitations of being just one guy, touring required a different approach.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of limitations

Browse Nearby Words

restriction
restrictions
restrictively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Restrictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restrictions. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All