1
2
as in prohibited
that may not be permitted
smoking is barred inside the restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in forbade
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
corporal punishment has long been barred in most public schools
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excluded
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
beach-goers are barred from walking in roped-off sections of the beach to protect nesting birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in guarded
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point
the bikeway was barred by a huge fallen tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of barred
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
One of the videos shows a group of men celebrating in a lighted hall, with barred cells on each side.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Known for her raunchy, no-holds barred comedy, Glaser’s career skyrocketed after her standout performance on Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
In the constellation Cepheus lies the barred spiral galaxy NGC 6951.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Teens as young as 13 will be able to use a limited ChatGPT, while under-13 users remain barred.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
In 2023, a barred owl known as Owen was rescued near Boston’s Faneuil Hall after ingesting rat poison.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
There’s broad agreement the native owls are at risk, but the animal rights organizations behind the opposition letter this week say killing barred owls is not the answer.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory, described by police as a flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with barred windows.
—Hande Atay Alam, CNN, 23 May 2023
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
The nine-person advisory jury determined that the claims against OpenAI and Altman were barred due to the statute of limitations.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 May 2026
On Monday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York barred ICE agents from detaining people who show up for proceedings in New York City's immigration courts, with the order specifically banning action at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 20 May 2026
The summary has not been made public and a federal judge permanently barred its release earlier in 2026.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 20 May 2026
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some fans holding the flag or bearing anti-government slogans complained of being barred from some stadiums, but the policy wasn’t universal.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
Newsom reports making millions of dollars from his hospitality business, whose assets are held in a blind trust run by his sister and cousin that he has been barred from accessing since entering office in 2019.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
However, the administration has barred travelers from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches and other support personnel are exempt.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Bradley did express an attitude by remaining in Britain, where he might still have been barred from entry into certain clubs, but where he was given credit for his work and recognized as an authority.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Adjective
The motions of stellar streams contain clues to how our barred spiral galaxy evolved over billions of years, including through collisions with other galactic realms.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
One of the videos shows a group of men celebrating in a lighted hall, with barred cells on each side.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Known for her raunchy, no-holds barred comedy, Glaser’s career skyrocketed after her standout performance on Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
In the constellation Cepheus lies the barred spiral galaxy NGC 6951.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Teens as young as 13 will be able to use a limited ChatGPT, while under-13 users remain barred.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
In 2023, a barred owl known as Owen was rescued near Boston’s Faneuil Hall after ingesting rat poison.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
There’s broad agreement the native owls are at risk, but the animal rights organizations behind the opposition letter this week say killing barred owls is not the answer.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory, described by police as a flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with barred windows.
—Hande Atay Alam, CNN, 23 May 2023
Verb
An Independence judge also barred Driscoll from contacting his ex-wife, and ordered Driscoll to attend a domestic violence intervention program and refrain from making any online posts referencing her in any way.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
The nine-person advisory jury determined that the claims against OpenAI and Altman were barred due to the statute of limitations.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 May 2026
On Monday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York barred ICE agents from detaining people who show up for proceedings in New York City's immigration courts, with the order specifically banning action at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 20 May 2026
The summary has not been made public and a federal judge permanently barred its release earlier in 2026.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 20 May 2026
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some fans holding the flag or bearing anti-government slogans complained of being barred from some stadiums, but the policy wasn’t universal.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
Newsom reports making millions of dollars from his hospitality business, whose assets are held in a blind trust run by his sister and cousin that he has been barred from accessing since entering office in 2019.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
However, the administration has barred travelers from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches and other support personnel are exempt.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Bradley did express an attitude by remaining in Britain, where he might still have been barred from entry into certain clubs, but where he was given credit for his work and recognized as an authority.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barred
Adjective
-
The ceiling's checked stripes interact with the pattern on the coffee tables and the nearby green-and-white striped ottoman stools.—
Bridget Mills-Powell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 May 2026
-
In a recent Instagram post documenting a weekend with friends, Gwyneth Paltrow wore a pair of brown clogs styled with a striped shirt and cropped jeans.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
16 May 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
Verb
-
The gleaming skylines Trump had so lavishly praised were now streaked with plumes of smoke.—
Daniel Benaim,
Time,
18 May 2026
-
The cooking is no-nonsense, from tortang talong, whole eggplant sealed in an omelet beneath a merry wreckage of pork, to lush tinola, chicken soup streaked with ginger.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
According to prosecutors, the teen's mother became concerned about Ruiz being around her daughter and forbade Garcia Perez from speaking with him.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
The stream rushed by, as clear and inviting as the nearby lake that their father forbade them from swimming in.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia - boycotting in protest.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
These are institutions which are obviously very tightly guarded and there's not a lot of freedom there for the individuals inside.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
For much of the game, small forward Rae Burrell guarded Clark, who netted 24 points with nine assists.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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
Verb
-
Authorities reportedly fined him €500, or roughly $580 — and banned him from returning to the site, the outlet noted.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
Athletes have been suspended or banned for gambling violations.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barred. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
