off-limits
adjective
off-lim·its
ˈȯf-ˈli-məts 
: not to be entered or patronized by a designated class (such as military personnel)
also
: not to be interfered with, considered, or spoken of
the subject of sex was off-limits in her family
Examples of off-limits in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sanctions have meant that trading in Russian sovereign debt remains off-limits, but some hedge funds are exploring corporate bonds once deemed nearly worthless, which are seeing improved valuations, according to Hedgeweek.com.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
As mentioned previously, with virtually all nonimmigrant visas, i.e. visitor, student and temporary work visas effectively off-limits because of the immigrant intent problem and the Safe Third Country Agreement preventing refugee claims, legal options are scarce.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Consider the rush during COVID-19 to label certain ideas as off-limits—including the possibility that COVID-19 emanated from a lab in China, a view now deemed by both the FBI and CIA as the most likely possibility.
—Jacob Hale Russell, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Last month, a 49-year-old man died after losing his footing while hiking up a 60-foot waterfall on Maui, and one day later a California couple in their sixties had to be rescued by helicopter after sustaining multiple injuries attempting to hike Oahu’s off-limits Sacred Falls Trail.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-limits
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David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
As mentioned previously, with virtually all nonimmigrant visas, i.e. visitor, student and temporary work visas effectively off-limits because of the immigrant intent problem and the Safe Third Country Agreement preventing refugee claims, legal options are scarce.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Consider the rush during COVID-19 to label certain ideas as off-limits—including the possibility that COVID-19 emanated from a lab in China, a view now deemed by both the FBI and CIA as the most likely possibility.
—Jacob Hale Russell, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Last month, a 49-year-old man died after losing his footing while hiking up a 60-foot waterfall on Maui, and one day later a California couple in their sixties had to be rescued by helicopter after sustaining multiple injuries attempting to hike Oahu’s off-limits Sacred Falls Trail.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-limits
Cite this Entry
“Off-limits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-limits. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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