off-limits

adjective

Definition of off-limitsnext
as in private

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 off-limits Shellfish harvesting in the river is still off-limits, according to the city's message. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The area is secured by a fence and off-limits to the public. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 June 2026 Comments, condolences, and questions about her are off-limits during the live broadcast. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 24 June 2026 She is buried on an island at the center of the ornamental lake known as The Round Oval within Althorp Park's Pleasure Garden, and her gravesite is off-limits to the public. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-limits
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-limits
  1. private
  2. closed
  3. restricted
  4. limited
  5. exclusive
Adjective
  • The city says state law prevents it from setting wages for private companies such as airlines, and a new provision in the state budget further restricts what local officials can do for contract workers.
    — DJ Simmons July 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • And the private grading plan associated with the project, which provided engineering details for the development of private property, was completely voided, citing issues with code compliance.
    — Zuri Primos July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Definition of private
Adjective
  • This strategy is different from that of closed-model labs like OpenAI and Anthropic whose commercial position hinges on maintaining proprietary access to their most capable systems.
    — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Some end up working as part-time dog walkers, babysitters, house cleaners, or reservationists, all in pursuit of a happy client and a closed deal.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Definition of closed
Adjective
  • Schmid, who was a restricted free agent, was the final player the Panthers had signed who did not have a salary attached to his contract.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • To evaluate the models' maximum cybersecurity capabilities, OpenAI intentionally relaxed many of the guardrails normally present in production deployments while operating the systems inside a tightly restricted research environment.
    — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of restricted
Adjective
  • Along the walls is limited-edition Clash of Clans merchandise, including a Hog Rider action figure, skeleton stickers and limited-edition mugs and T-shirts.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2026
  • International assistance has historically played a major role in supporting outbreak surveillance, laboratory capacity, healthcare worker training and emergency response in countries facing limited resources.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of limited
Adjective
  • The story may have been embellished by early biographers, but records show that Brunelleschi eventually gained recognition as the exclusive inventor and director of the dome.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • In exclusive conversations with Vanity Fair, key creatives behind the film and recording of the soundtrack say that maybe—just maybe—there’s hope for the album’s release after all.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of exclusive

Browse Nearby Words

off-kilter
off-limits
off-load
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-limits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-limits. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All