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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

Concerned that the programs’ growing sophistication could induce emotional dependency and addiction, China last week banned minors from using AI companions and imposed additional requirements on platforms to prevent misuse. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026 Former Australia soccer captain Paul Wade says he has been diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and has renewed his calls for all players under the age of 12 to be banned from heading the ball. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 Nicola Sorcinelli’s debut Balcanica, the only Italian title in competition, about an Afghan father and son who, after music is banned in their country, try to flee to Europe. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 Today, phones are often banned outright because generative AI is one tap away; three decades, three tools and a largely unchanged argument. — Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 While sandals from the wardrobe department were sometimes required, Uggs were banned altogether. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026 Lead paint was banned about 50 years ago, but it can still be found in many older homes (often undetected). — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026 This was actually permitted at the British Academy previously, most notably when Margot Robbie received two supporting actress nominations in 2020, but was banned following a major review that followed. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 22 July 2026 The city banned data centers near transit and the Beltline, but this one is trying to get an exception. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 15 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

For example, cash advances, annual fees and balance transfers typically are excluded.

— Sarah Hostetler, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Rodríguez, however, was excluded from that judgment while the court awaited guidance from the executive branch on whether she was entitled to immunity as Venezuela’s sitting head of state.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 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

He was sentenced to nine days in jail before being deported to Australia and barred from reentering Singapore.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
The controversial traffic stops federal immigration agents were briefly barred from using have been seen in North Carolina for more than a year, according to one activist group that tracks data.

— Julia Coin July 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026

Definition of barred

Verb

That three-week period comes to an end for those who were eliminated at the round of 32 (played between June 29 and July 3) this week.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 22 July 2026
The governor's initial plan contained a far more ambitious rollback, one that would have eventually eliminated all property taxes on primary homes and contained no carveout for school budget property taxes.

— Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Definition of eliminated

Verb

When the team sprinkled their cages with isopropyl myristate daily, though, the animals did not breed—the compound reliably prevented pregnancy.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
The verdicts came after prosecutors argued Dominguez made deliberate choices during the attacks despite symptoms of schizophrenia, while defense attorneys argued his mental illness prevented him from forming criminal intent.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of prevented

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“Banned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banned. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of banned

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verb

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