deter
verb (used with object)
to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
was deterring
-
past progressiveof deter.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
President Barack Obama’s Alliance for Prosperity looked eerily like Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress, though its stated rationale was deterring migration rather than deterring communism.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2021
He also said the system was deterring investment in premises, because even minor upgrades could push up bills.
From BBC ● May 7, 2019
Planning a new route typically takes two years to develop and the risk of a different regulatory environment was deterring airlines, he added.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 9, 2018
It said a lack of clarity of evacuation procedures and hazard pay was deterring foreign and national medical staff from coming forward to run the units.
From Reuters ● Nov. 6, 2014
Nevertheless, the agent had crystallized in bitter words an idea which was deterring Mayo: would he take advantage of a girl's rash betrayal of her father?
From Blow The Man Down A Romance Of The Coast - 1916 by Holman Day
