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
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
In the final episode of volume 1, their reunion forces Dream to reckon with the deepest taboo of the Endless.
—Aya Al-Hakim, People.com, 7 July 2025
Courtney Busch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Death Cafe gatherings create an inviting, safe space to share the heartfelt experience of diving into a taboo topic which unites everyone.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Adjective
In the report, the group laid out its guidelines, which recommend taking cultural context into account when determining how to display or dispose of remains, given that practices such as cremation or postmortem display may be considered traditional by one culture and taboo by another.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
In the final episode of volume 1, their reunion forces Dream to reckon with the deepest taboo of the Endless.
—Aya Al-Hakim, People.com, 7 July 2025
Noun
Ensuring safety and sanitation in India Back in 2013, more than half a billion people in India had no access to a toilet, and the subject of sanitation was taboo.
—Courtney Busch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Death Cafe gatherings create an inviting, safe space to share the heartfelt experience of diving into a taboo topic which unites everyone.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
Adjective
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Anthropic has introduced weekly rate limits for its Claude chatbot focused on curbing excessive—and forbidden—usage of Claude Code.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
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Three years ago, Dawn went into the forbidden section of the Imperial library and ended up meeting Gaal, who convinced Dawn of the threat of the Mule.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
25 July 2025
Noun
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The guidance, delivered in recent weeks to a range of firms, stops short of an outright prohibition but signals strong official disapproval for H20 use in sensitive contexts.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
12 Aug. 2025
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The Supreme Court’s ruling also determined that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments does not protect homeless people from laws criminalizing resting in public places.—
Stephen Przybylinski,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ishika Samant/Getty Images The idea of selling at the deadline is anathema to Yankees fans, who annually expect their team to win the World Series.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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This behavior is, of course, anathema to independent journalism, which is a keystone of democracy.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
2 July 2025
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
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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.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Similarly to hardwoods, using a highly acidic product like vinegar on waxed furniture is a big no-no.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
6 Aug. 2025
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But coffee and tea aren’t always a no-no for hydration.—
Erica Sweeney,
Time,
17 July 2025
Noun
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This wasteful Everglades abomination surely is one of our worst.—
Elise Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Aug. 2025
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As the world rightly remains focused on the bloody battlefields of Ukraine and the humanitarian abomination that is Gaza, South Korea’s new president is trying to shake up the status quo on the Korean Peninsula, one of the most militarized regions on the planet.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
31 July 2025
Noun
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This was not a formal nationwide government embargo.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
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There have been questions not just about the private military private contractors’ presence in respect to U.S. laws, but also in respect to a global arms embargo the U.N. Security Council has also imposed on Haiti in hopes of controlling weapons flows into the country.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The element of perversion, the artistic touch, in that Calvin Klein ad was Shields’s age, which was fifteen.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
2 Aug. 2025
-
This is a direct perversion of what’s supposed to be the apolitical branch.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taboo. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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