1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
told us in a forbidding voice to stop calling him by that name
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as in prohibiting
the act of ordering that something not be done or used
the landlord's forbidding of loud music after 10:00 p.m.
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as in banning
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
smoking is forbidden throughout the building we forbid you to see him
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbidding
Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2024
This forbidding combination unleashed costly real estate loans and big jumps in the cost of materials and labor to build projects.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Last month, the judge overseeing that case imposed a three-year injunction forbidding Google from a number of practices, such as the use of terms forcing app developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system for in-app billing.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for forbidding 
Adjective
For months, housing market conditions in a handful of battleground counties have been slightly less forbidding than in the U.S. overall, according to NBC News’ Home Buyer Index, which measures the relative difficulty of buying a home from one county to the next nationwide.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2024
This forbidding combination unleashed costly real estate loans and big jumps in the cost of materials and labor to build projects.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024
Verb
Kennedy has been a vocal advocate for raw milk, and has criticized FDA policy forbidding interstate sales of the product.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Last month, the judge overseeing that case imposed a three-year injunction forbidding Google from a number of practices, such as the use of terms forcing app developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system for in-app billing.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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The stability and flexibility around Josh Allen makes for a terrifying formula.Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
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What’s more terrifying than losing control of your physical and mental self as your most primal, animalistic instincts take the wheel?David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The wartime leader became a global icon for his gruff fortitude in the opening stages of the war, but his domestic popularity has since dipped.David Brennan, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2025
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Anderson recalled, adopting a gruff tone and pointing toward the audience.EW.com, EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Smith, who is now winding down both his cases against the president-elect due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president, has not provided any details about the contents of his report.Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2025
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That has prompted states including Colorado, New York and California to enact legislation prohibiting medical debt from being included on residents' credit reports or factored into their credit scores.Noam Levey, NPR, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The glorious few who still worry about the decline of Palm Beach society speculated wildly that Trump was planning to legalize gambling and build a casino, or — the truly frightening possibility — subdivide his acreage and sell houses.Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
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In a cast full of mothers, the women are naturally sympathetic, triggered by the idea that something that frightening could happen to them too – only to be a little flummoxed at the full picture as more details started to come out.Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Learning new skills Technology advancements may feel intimidating but can be learned.Melissa Houston, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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Bob Veale, one of the most intimidating pitchers of the 1960s who is credited with inventing a popular baseball saying, passed away at age 89.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For example, Goldwater Institute's claim that the increase in the bed tax constitutes an unconstitutional tax on a service misconstrues the Arizona Constitution's prohibition on tax increases for services.Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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The current version of the policy maintains prohibitions on Holocaust denials, Blackface, insinuations about Jewish people controlling the media.Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Someone, anyone, needs to step up and take the reins here, as the Flyers have looked formidable otherwise.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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After navigating a few early hiccups—which included, of all things, snail slime—TikTok Shop proved formidable; the app’s surge in vendors outpaced competitors like Amazon, which TikTok ultimately wants to replace (or at least dethrone).Jason Parham, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the pinnacle stewardship stern directors, CFOs and CTOs embrace.Noah Barsky, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has issued a stern warning to migrants illegally entering the U.S. in the final days of the Biden administration.Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near forbidding
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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