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
Maria Balaska, Time, 23 Nov. 2025
Getting work done isn’t taboo anymore.
—Essence, 21 Nov. 2025
Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
What was once a taboo activity, confined to the fringes of society, has been completely normalized.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Adjective
The thought that a child’s behavior can be bad—mean, greedy, selfish—is often taboo.
—Maria Balaska, Time, 23 Nov. 2025
Getting work done isn’t taboo anymore.
—Essence, 21 Nov. 2025
Noun
Those conversations, once taboo, can provide relief and perspective.
—Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
What was once a taboo activity, confined to the fringes of society, has been completely normalized.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
Adjective
-
An ancient forbidden kingdom nestled by the Tibetan Plateau and some of the tallest peaks in the world, Mustang didn’t allow tourists until 1992 and formally joined the contemporary Federation of Nepal in 2008.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In one study, University of Pennsylvania researchers manipulated LLMs into giving forbidden responses by applying persuasion techniques effective on humans.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
No prohibition had been announced, but they would never be allowed to join a guild.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In Margaret Atwood’s chilling dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the founders of the Republic of Gilead legislate a blanket prohibition on women’s employment and the seizure of their personal savings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
At the same time, AIPAC, which Lang targeted, has become anathema in both parties as support for Israel has plummeted in recent years.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Maduro is an authoritarian and a blight to the Venezuelan people, certainly, but this administration is hardly one that finds all autocrats anathema.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
In the same vein, abrasive cleaning materials are also a no-no.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Squeaking and clanking is a huge no-no for me, and thankfully there are no metal pieces to announce your comings and goings or nocturnal activities.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
But when asked why similar actions in Iraq were an abomination, the president punted.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But just like the Qatar embargo almost a decade ago, those rules seem to slacken when officials make direct accusations against fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Under the embargo — long denounced by many countries, including Mexico — Cubans have suffered economic and energy crises, driving hundreds of thousands of Cubans to migrate, especially to the United States.—
María Verza,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Those who place responsibility on individuals and employers saw the ACA as perversion of the government’s purpose.—
Robert Applebaum,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
-
There’s the younger wife who falls in love with the woman her husband hires for a threesome, then walks off 10 minutes later with a $210m settlement once Nash acquires video evidence of his extensive perversions.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taboo. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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