barred 1 of 2

barred

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bar
1
as in streaked
to make stripes on barred the fence with white strips

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
as in guarded
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the bikeway was barred by a huge fallen tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barred
Adjective
In 2023, a barred owl known as Owen was rescued near Boston’s Faneuil Hall after ingesting rat poison. Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025 There’s broad agreement the native owls are at risk, but the animal rights organizations behind the opposition letter this week say killing barred owls is not the answer. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024 At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory, described by police as a flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with barred windows. Hande Atay Alam, CNN, 23 May 2023 Dogs and buzzards fought over a dead cat in the middle of the street, directly across from an officer who watched the ferocious struggle from a barred window, twirling the ends of his moustache. Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 25 July 2022 In California, for example, the legislature in 2018 barred felony murder charges against participants in a felony who did not personally kill anyone. jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2021 Similarly, Alexey Kortnev, the frontman of the band Neschastny Sluchai, who was tapped to be the festival's host, declined and expressed support for the barred candidates. Vladimir Kozlov, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2019 The couple and their daughter had lived with Martinez’s mother in a sea-green brick home with barred windows in a working-class neighborhood of San Martin on the outskirts of the capital, San Salvador. Christopher Sherman, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2019 And the manner in which some died — trapped between barred windows and roaring flames — echoes this. New York Times, 9 July 2018
Verb
Trump’s attorneys on Thursday had submitted an emergency request to pause a lower-court ruling, which barred Cook’s firing from taking effect while her lawsuit against the president’s action continues. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 Under the ruling, OPM is barred from directing other agencies to terminate probationary employees and from distributing pretextual termination templates. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 He was barred from leaving Iran and lived life in limbo for two years while awaiting sentencing. Fatemeh Jamalpour, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025 Vera issued a temporary restraining order in the LAPD case on July 10 that barred officers from using less-lethal munitions against journalists not posing a threat to law enforcement. Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025 Typically, players are barred from arriving early to the clubhouse and in most cases the team doesn’t take batting practice, which is a big part of Jenkins’ pregame routine. Dan Hayes, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 Now exiled and barred from returning to her home country, Asayesh has become a symbol of artistic resistance for her outspoken stance on human rights. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2025 The change also does not appear to be related to Trump’s legal standing in New York, where he is barred from serving as an officer of a New York corporation, as Alt5 Sigma is incorporated in Nevada. Zach Everson, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Across China, tens of thousands of people tagged as troublemakers like the Yangs are trapped in a digital cage, barred from leaving their province and sometimes even their homes by the world’s largest digital surveillance apparatus. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barred
Adjective
  • Julia was dressed in a chic oversized suit (her specialty) and heeled boots and a white striped tie, while Roberts wore a semi-sheer black gown with minimal jewelry.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2025
  • There’s a lot of versatility in striped bedding.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
  • Lightning has streaked across Arizona skies over the past few weeks as the state's monsoon season kicks into full force.
    Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Jukkasjärvi, Sweden Snow crunches beneath reindeer hooves as Jukkasjärvi wakes to a sky streaked with polar blue.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Legal challenges began when, in 2007, the state medical board forbade doctors from any involvement beyond observing executions, which were only carried out by lethal injection after a move by state lawmakers to eliminate another method, lethal gas, in 1998.
    Avi Bajpai, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The court forbade companies from classifying workers as independent contractors except in narrow circumstances.
    The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Vermont was excluded from Cotality's analysis due to a lack of data.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Medicaid fills this gap, offering comprehensive coverage to people with IDD who are frequently excluded from mainstream systems of insurance and support.
    Our Place, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Greens are guarded with some diabolical sand traps, and the usually whipping wind forces you to plot every shot.
    Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
  • This conversation should always be open, hones, and not guarded or ashamed.
    Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Describing the damping precisely meant accidentally allowing forbidden precision in position or momentum.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Anthropic has introduced weekly rate limits for its Claude chatbot focused on curbing excessive—and forbidden—usage of Claude Code.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • In contrast, 17 states -- such as Maryland and Wyoming -- that have not banned the use of wireless communication devices in schools on the state level.
    Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The city has also banned tour groups of more than 25 people, loudspeakers and megaphones, and even standing on narrow streets to listen to tour guides.
    Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Barred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barred. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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