deter
verb (used with object)
to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
had deterred
-
past perfectof deter.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It had deterred what it sought to deter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A similar avoidance phenomenon has been noticed in previous Olympics, including in London in 2012, when businesses suggested that the Games had deterred visitors and shrunk their profits.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024
Many local governments had also imposed their own quarantine on travelers from outside the area, and it was those that Wang said had deterred her from leaving Beijing.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2023
Iran has complained that concerns among banks about breaking remaining sanctions had deterred investment since the deal was signed in July.
From Reuters ● Jun. 15, 2016
But just as crime tends to be low on a street where a police car is parked, the 95 percent rate was artificially high: Feldman’s presence had deterred theft.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
