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
Teens as young as 13 will be able to use a limited ChatGPT, while under-13 users remain barred. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025 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
Verb
Furloughed workers are barred from doing their jobs and normally do not receive back pay until funding is restored. Nik Popli, Time, 30 Sep. 2025 The Marcos administration has also replaced leadership at the presidential task force on media security and barred police from red-tagging journalists — though whether that ban will be enforced remains unclear. Ashish Valentine, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025 Drones are barred starting one hour before to one hour after the scheduled event. Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025 On Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vučić has also backtracked, expressing support for long-time Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik – who has been barred from office by the country’s constitutional court, but defies that ruling. Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025 If Harvard doesn’t win an appeal in the administrative hearing, it would be barred indefinitely from receiving any funding from across the federal government. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025 Despite being barred from contacting them, Jonathan Harms emailed both church members the manifesto on July 10. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 27 Sep. 2025 For years, following significant and continuous quality and safety errors, Boeing has been barred from certifying the safety of some of its own aircraft on behalf of the US government. Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 Some didn’t take the class too seriously and side-barred about prison politics. John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barred
Adjective
  • The 24-year-old chose a kimono-style navy mini dress, cinched with a striped tie and paired with dainty red bow heels—all from Dior’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, naturally.
    Essence, Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Shenhe Colorful Cardigan If your fall wardrobe leans neutral, this colorful striped cardigan is the easiest way to add playfulness without sacrificing comfort.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 30 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
  • Flaming palm fronds heaved back and forth across the frame, and embers streaked the air.
    Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Mukuba streaked down the left sideline before being tackled by a sprinting Josh Simmons, but the turnover led to an Eagles touchdown drive, which cushioned their lead to 10 and effectively put a tight game out of reach.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The law that banned whale captivity did not apply to the existing population of captive whales at Marineland, but the park had to comply with another part of the law that forbade breeding.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
  • His recovery plan forbade him from climbing stairs for 10 weeks.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For some runners, having an audience feels worse than being excluded.
    Jenessa Connor, Outside, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Historically, excluded care has been limited to services that insurance doesn’t typically cover, like cosmetic surgery or experimental treatment.
    Michelle Andrews, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Its language may have been guarded, but there were other signs of the fast-changing reality on the ground.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Getting to the scene is difficult as the road to the church has been closed and guarded around the clock.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Lina, a young woman facing harsh coming-of-age rituals, forms a forbidden connection with a man.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
  • With every temptation, Jesus is lured into a forbidden world, and a terrified Joseph soon realizes that a demonic power is at work.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • It was subsequently banned from fairs because of its grisly origin.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Although fur farms are banned in many countries, millions of animals are killed every year for their pelts, which are used in clothing, according to animal welfare charity Humane Society International.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barred. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on barred

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!