variants
also forbad
as in prohibited
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
smoking is forbidden throughout the building we forbid you to see him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 forbade
Though the topic didn’t come up during Friday afternoon’s press conference, the director recently made headlines because he and his writing partner Don McKellar were kicked out of the Writers Guild of America for violating union rules that forbade working during the union’s 2023 strike.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Sean Duffy, the federal Department of Transportation secretary, has, in recent months, threatened to pull funding over New York City’s congestion pricing program — until a federal judge forbade him from doing so.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Instead, her product team forbade her from revealing this information, leaving her to either lie or be evasive about a deal that was already complete.
—Kiri Masters, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Without one umbrella cartel to pay a tax in exchange for protection, there are more cells, and the barrier for entry is lower, which means the lesser crimes El Chapo and El Mayo forbade in Culiacán — kidnappings, extortions — are here to stay until someone else rises up and restores order.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Collecting the bodies For nearly three days, corpses littered the streets of Pine village, after villagers said fighters forbade them from collecting their dead, according to three of the locals CNN spoke to.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
When his boss, the Archbishop of Vienna, forbade the wicked play The Marriage of Figaro to be composed as an opera, Mozart composed the comic opera anyway.
—Chip Bell, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Some forbade any conversation between boys and girls that were not directly related to study.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Previously, team rules forbade players, coaches and other staffers from sporting beards unless they were maintained for religious reasons.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Sean Duffy, the federal Department of Transportation secretary, has, in recent months, threatened to pull funding over New York City’s congestion pricing program — until a federal judge forbade him from doing so.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Instead, her product team forbade her from revealing this information, leaving her to either lie or be evasive about a deal that was already complete.
—Kiri Masters, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Without one umbrella cartel to pay a tax in exchange for protection, there are more cells, and the barrier for entry is lower, which means the lesser crimes El Chapo and El Mayo forbade in Culiacán — kidnappings, extortions — are here to stay until someone else rises up and restores order.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Collecting the bodies For nearly three days, corpses littered the streets of Pine village, after villagers said fighters forbade them from collecting their dead, according to three of the locals CNN spoke to.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
When his boss, the Archbishop of Vienna, forbade the wicked play The Marriage of Figaro to be composed as an opera, Mozart composed the comic opera anyway.
—Chip Bell, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Some forbade any conversation between boys and girls that were not directly related to study.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Previously, team rules forbade players, coaches and other staffers from sporting beards unless they were maintained for religious reasons.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbade
Verb
-
The resulting bill that cleared the Legislature during the regular legislative session would have prohibited consumable hemp products containing a cannabinoid other than CBD or CBG, which do not produce a high.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Tennessee law has prohibited local sanctuary policies since 2019.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But others reportedly continued to ignore the order, so when the deadline passed, the government banned 26 social-media platforms, including Meta’s Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
He was banned on three occasions for biting opponents during matches.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbade. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share