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
Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
Now, pregnancy is becoming less taboo for top athletes.
—Tina Sturdevant, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Among members of the older generations, candid talk about finances, and particularly about salary, is often considered taboo, or at least impolite.
—Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Adjective
Although Survivor was an individual game from the start, loyalty played a prominent role in early seasons, when betraying a close ally was considered somewhat taboo.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
Now, pregnancy is becoming less taboo for top athletes.
—Tina Sturdevant, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Noun
Communication remains a major hurdle, particularly in Asia, where discussions around inheritance and wealth transfer are often considered taboo.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Among members of the older generations, candid talk about finances, and particularly about salary, is often considered taboo, or at least impolite.
—Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
Adjective
-
Obsession, a Toronto premiere that has since turned into one of the year’s unlikeliest box-office successes with rare, late-run weekend gains, traces how forbidden desire spirals into supernatural terror.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
In a discussion that Padilla started about a secret Groundlings show for gross-out comedy, Palmer summoned the ancient name of one of the forbidden Millennial texts.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
More grounded than Scarface and tenfold beyond The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), the film focuses on Eliot Ness' attempt to bring down Al Capone during the 1930s prohibition.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
But our children deserve more than prohibition alone.—
Belonging Forum,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The notion that nature begins only where humans end is anathema to the Cornish spirit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Becerra has seemed almost allergic to lavish tax benefits, while Hilton comes with a host of conservative policy proposals, from the dismantling of environmental protections to pushing low-density housing, that will be anathema to many liberals in Hollywood.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 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
-
Items Stored on Top of Kitchen Cabinets Storing things on top of kitchen cabinets is another feng shui no-no, according to Roynon.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 June 2026
-
The higher its gold content, the better a watch can stand up to corrosion when exposed to H2O (leather bands, though, are a no-no for chlorine or salty water).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Yes, the first season of Big Brother was an abomination.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Slovenia’s new conservative government has lifted an entry ban on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, scrapped restrictions on settlement imports and ended an arms embargo, signaling a sharp reset in relations with Israel.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
The embargo caused an immediate 50 percent loss in exports.—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
11 June 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 13 Jun. 2026.
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