off-limits
adjective
off-lim·its
ˈȯf-ˈli-məts 
: not to be entered or patronized especially by a designated class of people
Certain areas of the museum are off-limits to visitors.
also
: not to be interfered with, considered, or spoken of
The subject of politics was off-limits in her family.
Examples of off-limits in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s a topic that seems off-limits.
—
Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Pool decks once off-limits to animals now feature water toys.
—Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Most of these are now empty of water and off-limits, leading to some complaints that the site no longer lives up to photographs that show it in years gone by.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
In one example in April, Indian police arrested an American YouTuber who visited an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean and left an offering of a Diet Coke can in an attempt to make contact with the reclusive Sentinelese tribe, which is known to shoot at outsiders with bows and arrows.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-limits
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Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Pool decks once off-limits to animals now feature water toys.
—Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Most of these are now empty of water and off-limits, leading to some complaints that the site no longer lives up to photographs that show it in years gone by.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
In one example in April, Indian police arrested an American YouTuber who visited an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean and left an offering of a Diet Coke can in an attempt to make contact with the reclusive Sentinelese tribe, which is known to shoot at outsiders with bows and arrows.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-limits
Cite this Entry
“Off-limits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-limits. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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