covenants 1 of 2

plural of covenant
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

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2
3

covenants

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of covenant
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

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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

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 covenants
Noun
Interim operating covenants laid out in the merger agreement allow for WBD to run itself as an independent entity while the deal moves toward closing. Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 This structure lets legal, financial and commercial advisors concentrate effort on issues that influence transaction architecture, particularly those requiring adjustments to representations, covenants or indemnification constructs. Keegan Caldwell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Each temple is considered a house of the Lord, where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through sacred ordinances, learning about life’s purpose and making covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve others. Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026 As restrictive racial covenants to limit who could own property spread over the East Bay, more than 1,400 Black and Latino residents found a haven on the other side of the Union Pacific railroad tracks west of downtown Hayward. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Bailey’s order also placed an injunction prohibiting Attard from leasing the house and, because affordability covenants eventually expire, the judge demanded the clock reset to account for the three years Welcome to Realty had owned the house. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 Those rules – codes, covenants and restrictions, known collectively as CCRs – are often created by developers, who initially control the HOA. Daniel Kramer, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 His resulting exploration tracks the ways in which Black residents were effectively segregated, through racial covenants and redlining, and overpoliced. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Your book deals with a piece of legislation called the Rumford Act that would tear down the city’s racist racial housing covenants in 1963, but the act in ’62 had enemies in high places, namely Mayor Sam Yorty and his power base. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenants
Noun
  • King managed to take the suffocating history of the Indian — the treaties, the massacres, the Hollywood caricatures — and turn it into something conversational, even funny.
    Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Other presidential powers include the negotiation of treaties and the granting of pardons.
    Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Both Brown and Espada entered this season in the final year of their contracts.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Those contracts included clauses calling for international arbitration, which seemed to reduce or remove the risk of unilateral government action.
    Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Moon enters Aries and your 8th House of Shared Resources, Trust, Intimacy, and Mutual Support, bringing focus to budgets, agreements, access, debts, or private commitments.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Pacheco’s role in collecting cash in exchange for political favors was pieced together through the plea agreements of other defendants caught in the probe.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 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
  • When those things do start happening, the scares are every bit as effective as the buildup promises.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Designed to blur and sculpt the face, the powder promises to deliver up to 24 hours of oil and shine control, while the blush is said to help achieve a smooth and natural flush of color.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • NBCUniversal‘s Peacock launched a limited new membership program in a beta test with a variety of perks — aimed at keeping them from flying the coop as streaming subscribers, as well as driving incremental revenue from marketing pacts.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • On climate, liberals would offer tax rewards for green energy, support joining climate pacts, and phasing out fossil fuels gradually over decades.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Drafting a quarterback high in the NFL Draft is a substantial bet, without guarantees.
    Dane Brugler, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Paramount cannot make unlimited guarantees without undermining the financial assumptions underlying the acquisition.
    Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Rahma has even seen plenty of exceptions to the conventions around how frequently a YouTube channel has to publish a video or how long a clip needs to be to find an audience.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The first night of the conventions will feature 53 items/speakers; the second night will feature 59 items/speakers, according to the RNC.
    S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Covenants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenants. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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