variants
also tabu
as in forbidden
that may not be permitted
asking a guest how much money he or she makes is strictly taboo because it's a rude question to ask a stranger
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also tabu
1
as in prohibition
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in anathema
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of taboo
Anna Marie De La Fuente,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Fragmented treatment infrastructure More broadly, the nation’s treatment infrastructure for excessive alcohol consumption remains fragmented, medications remain underutilized, and harm-reduction strategies long embraced by other countries remain taboo.
—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
William Sharp, an associate teaching professor of psychology at Northeastern University says what sets the vampire apart is its emphasis on the taboo.
—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Adjective
The project reflects a strong auteur and LGBTQ+ aligned slate touching on taboo subjects.
—
Anna Marie De La Fuente,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Fragmented treatment infrastructure More broadly, the nation’s treatment infrastructure for excessive alcohol consumption remains fragmented, medications remain underutilized, and harm-reduction strategies long embraced by other countries remain taboo.
—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Noun
The reasons differed each time the taboo topic came up.
—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
William Sharp, an associate teaching professor of psychology at Northeastern University says what sets the vampire apart is its emphasis on the taboo.
—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
Adjective
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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.
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And thank God for that, because forbidden love is my favorite type of drama to watch on Love Island.
Noun
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The company could not secure an exception to the state’s prohibition of the storage of high-level radioactive waste from out of state.
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The prohibition against living people appearing on currency dates to 1866, when Congress took action after a Treasury official, Spencer Clark, printed his face on banknotes.
Noun
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That is anathema to many of the visiting fans – and, to be very clear, the overwhelming majority of the American soccer fans who are in attendance as well.
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Still, by the 1830s, Elizabeth Freeman’s challenge to slavery as an anathema to liberty was a potent idea.
Adjective
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There is, however, room for questions about where the line between prohibited and acceptable political involvement will fall in practice.
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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.
Noun
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The most obvious comp is that Disney couldn’t buy Fox’s TV networks because doing so would’ve saddled Disney with two broadcast networks, ABC and Fox, and that’s a big regulatory no-no.
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In this bland, milquetoast world, freedom to express oneself through music is a big no-no.
Noun
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Qatar 2022 was an abomination in so many ways, a World Cup staged in a nation roughly the size of Connecticut, with an appalling human rights record, but the football was frequently thrilling.
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Yes, the first season of Big Brother was an abomination.
Noun
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Even as the communist country proposes reforms, the United States continues a pressure campaign, ramping up economic sanctions and maintaining an oil embargo that has plunged much of the island into darkness.
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And remember there are likely to be two models of Apple Watch (Series 12 and Ultra 4) and both reviews will appear on the same day, likely with the same embargo lift time.
Noun
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More broadly, this same chain of logic turns the Voting Rights Act into a zombie law, a perversion of its intended purpose that now mostly protects white Americans from any attempts to break their disproportionate control of voting machinery.
-
The Fair Districts law is a partisan perversion walking around in a phony non-partisan trenchcoat.
Cite this Entry
“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taboo. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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