1
as in treaties
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples
the two countries signed a peace covenant that, it was hoped, would put an end to decades of bitter conflict
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in contracts
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
I had to sign a covenant that I would return the rental car on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in agreements
an arrangement about action to be taken
the covenant that existed among neighbors in olden times whereby they would quickly respond to the call to help put out one another's house fires
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in bargains
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action
a traditional rule held that a husband could not enter into a covenant with his wife, because that was the equivalent of covenanting with himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promises
to make a solemn declaration of intent
the home buyers had to covenant that they would restore and keep the house for at least 10 years in exchange for a low mortgage rate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of covenants
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Funds that cater to institutional investors focused on loans to middle-market borrowers that had more protective covenants and wider spreads, a feature that can also buffer potential losses, Gross said at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Jeanne Phillips, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
For decades, discriminatory housing policies — including redlining, racially restrictive covenants and predatory land-sale contracts — systematically extracted the very wealth from Black families that fuels neighborhood investment.
—Tonika Lewis Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Early 20th-century deed covenants explicitly barred Black, Chinese, or Japanese residents from buying or renting homes in the neighborhood.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Such covenants have been unenforceable for decades, but must be removed under a four-year-old state law.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Black Detroiters were systematically excluded from quality neighborhoods by restrictive covenants embedded in property deeds.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Bond and financial covenants in loans and financial transactions are an example.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Funds that cater to institutional investors focused on loans to middle-market borrowers that had more protective covenants and wider spreads, a feature that can also buffer potential losses, Gross said at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions.
—Jeanne Phillips, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
For decades, discriminatory housing policies — including redlining, racially restrictive covenants and predatory land-sale contracts — systematically extracted the very wealth from Black families that fuels neighborhood investment.
—Tonika Lewis Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Early 20th-century deed covenants explicitly barred Black, Chinese, or Japanese residents from buying or renting homes in the neighborhood.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Such covenants have been unenforceable for decades, but must be removed under a four-year-old state law.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Black Detroiters were systematically excluded from quality neighborhoods by restrictive covenants embedded in property deeds.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenants
Noun
-
On top of this, Australia has a range of excellent co-production treaties and incentives that invite international collaboration.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That has spurred renewed interest in a clause in the EU's foundational treaties about mutual assistance if a member nation is attacked.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yeah, another year each on their contracts.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
John Gudvangen, Denver Thanks to the editorial board for its call for greater scrutiny of education consulting contracts.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to an i3 representative, the company has rights-of-way agreements with Libertyville, Wauconda, Lake Zurich, Vernon Hills, Warren Township, Grayslake, Antioch, Winthrop Harbor, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Cary — which is primarily in McHenry County — and Mundelein.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Finance Chief Sarah Friar has expressed concerns over the company's ability to fund future compute agreements if the revenue slowdown continues, the outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The union usually bargains in the same year as performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and directors’ union the Directors Guild of America.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2026
-
One potential—though untested—workaround would be for conferences, which are private entities, to serve as a joint employer that bargains with a players’ union.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, the new approach promises to overcome this problem.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There’s no warmth in this movie, which is drained of emotional affect despite the galvanizing filmmaking that potentially promises otherwise.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most of those deals have come on one-year pacts.—
Mike Kaye
April 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But the deals are done project by project, rather than via the older model of pacts that paid out millions in development funds and compensation over three or four years.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is not an area where spending more guarantees better results.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The reality is that the United States cannot permanently end this war without making bold decisions that leave no party satisfied but that offer guarantees to permanently end the fighting.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But then, the 2016 national party conventions gave Colbert the opportunity to push hard on political humor.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Merritt draws listeners’ attention to songwriting form, winking at its conventions and timeworn tropes.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covenants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenants. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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