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
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Recent Examples of taboo
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
For John, who is not only a minister but also married, this is obviously very taboo—but it’s also rendered as natural.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 May 2026
That was Bravo taboo for a little bit.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Adjective
May pushes you and your love life into deeper, powerful and perhaps even taboo-like territory, making emotional intimacy impossible to avoid.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
For John, who is not only a minister but also married, this is obviously very taboo—but it’s also rendered as natural.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Noun
The documentary When Men Dance, which just held its world premiere at the Miami Film Festival, focuses on talented performers who have defied the taboo, throwing themselves body and soul into the artform.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 May 2026
That was Bravo taboo for a little bit.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
Adjective
-
Less than an hour’s drive from the holiday markets, on the way to Salla and its forbidden frontier, hundreds of Finnish soldiers are training to repel any future Russian invasion.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Women, whether secular or religious, remain forbidden to read, write or tell stories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Italy banned the farming, breeding and killing of animals for fur production beginning in 2022, joining a growing number of European countries that have enacted similar prohibitions or phase-outs.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
-
His office has since argued that surrogacy violates the 13th Amendment’s prohibition on slavery, according to a lawyer representing the fathers who commissioned the surrogate.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
But this truth is anathema in a culture where billionaires expect to live forever and encounters with disease are wars to be fought and won.—
Hannah Kerman,
STAT,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the issue isn’t if tanking is an anathema to any moral sports fan.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 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
-
While Henry describes Wachsmann’s no-hitter last season against Cherokee Trail as the pitcher’s breakthrough high school moment, Henry says the no-no this season on April 18 at Mullen was the more impressive outing.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
-
Acidic Soil Acidic soil is another no-no for lavender, according to the experts, which is why its important to conduct a soil pH test before planting your lavender.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No respectable woman would permit such an abomination.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Civic spending in all but eight states testifies to the fact that the Lost Cause fantasy was not an aberration or an abomination, but the reality across the country.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
An embargo like this means you are allowed to tweet your impressions, with some limitations, rather than publish full reviews, the kind that would be scored and thrown up on Rotten Tomatoes, so The Mandalorian and Grogu has no score yet.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
For years, Crowley and Seaboard have shipped products to Cuba, including chicken and other supplies authorized by law – like food and medicines– or covered by exceptions in the embargo regulations.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
The Fair Districts law is a partisan perversion walking around in a phony non-partisan trenchcoat.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taboo. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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