BANNED Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

banned 1 of 2

adjective

as in prohibited

that may not be permitted at one time books, movies, and plays could use "banned in Boston" as a selling point

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banned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of ban

as in outlawed

to order not to do or use or to be done or used the company absolutely bans smoking within its buildings

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as in excluded

to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of the university banned those caught in the cheating scandal from graduation ceremonies

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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 banned

Verb

Certain tags have been more likely to get a post deleted or banned on Rednote, screenshots and searches show. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Along stretches of the Jersey Shore, tents, canopies and cabanas have been banned or restricted for the last two years. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Nearly two dozen states have banned cellphones during the school day. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 Last month, authorities in Sardinia banned the use of beach umbrellas on one of its most popular beaches, citing safety concerns. — Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 Since March 2025, every Canadian province except for Alberta and Saskatchewan has banned the sale of American booze. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 July 2026 Kanye West, who is also known as Ye, has been banned from performing in several European countries this summer following remarks that have ⁠included praise of Adolf Hitler and content featuring Nazi imagery. — Reuters, NBC news, 8 July 2026 Indeed, Russian government officials are still banned from attending Olympic events. — Charles Maynes, NPR, 8 July 2026 Other electronic communication devices are also banned during the school day, including tablets, computers, smart watches, wireless headphones and earbuds. — Matthew Kelly july 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banned

Adjective

There is, however, room for questions about where the line between prohibited and acceptable political involvement will fall in practice.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The list of prohibited and restricted items, as found on the CBP website, includes alcohol, biological materials, firearms, food and produce such as fruits and vegetables, soil, wildlife, fish, and gold, among other items.

— Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Definition of prohibited

Verb

Trustee Robert Jones renewed his worries that the creation of a subdivision of only the Sacramento and Yolo County portions of the district in April excluded conservative voters in El Dorado County who would likely to vote against the bond measure.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Food and drink concessionaires, professional caterers, HOA clubhouses, golf courses, event planners — any purveyor that’s not a public restaurant, food truck, flea market stall or food hall vendor — are also excluded from the roundup.

— Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026

Definition of excluded

Adjective

More recently, mathematicians have been able to adapt Erdős’ method to get better estimates of Ramsey numbers where the forbidden cliques differ vastly in size.

— Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2026
And thank God for that, because forbidden love is my favorite type of drama to watch on Love Island.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 16 June 2026

Definition of forbidden

Verb

Variety reported that the wedding's digital invitations came with non-disclosure agreements that forbade invitees from spilling the beans about the ceremony.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
Almost 50 years ago, the Islamic Republic first took the comfort of religion away and then forbade music and, in the process, isolated me even further.

— Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 29 June 2026

Definition of forbade

Verb

Israel has barred foreign journalists from independently reporting in Gaza since the start of the war.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Rodriguez, who has expressed some interest in the proposal, said city leaders had not determined how county election officials would issue separate ballots for voters who would be barred from state and national contests.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of barred

Verb

Only a strong relay throw home by second baseman Miguel Rojas and a successful challenge prevented Hunter Goodman from scoring a go-ahead run.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
But Russian athletes in some sports, most notably track and field, will still likely be prevented from competing because of international sports federations’ policies regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

— Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 7 July 2026

Definition of prevented

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“Banned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banned. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of banned

adjective

verb

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