ban 1 of 2

verb

ˈban How to pronounce ban (audio)
Definition of bannext
1
as in to prohibit
to order not to do or use or to be done or used the company absolutely bans smoking within its buildings

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2
as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of the university banned those caught in the cheating scandal from graduation ceremonies

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ban

2 of 2

noun

1
as in curse
a prayer that harm will come to someone a father's ban upon his ungrateful son

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prohibition
an order that something not be done or used a quiet seaside resort with a ban on the drinking of alcohol in public places

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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 ban
Verb
Rivers got to the Clippers not long before the end of Donald Sterling’s ownership of the team; Sterling made racist comments and was banned by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. — Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was banned from Oscars ceremonies for 10 years. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
Summary Facing federal advertising bans on major platforms, the cannabis industry relies heavily on a diverse ecosystem of B2B events. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Some restrictions on cadres are not outright bans, and many have learned to read between the lines and regulate their own behavior to avoid trouble. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ban
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ban
  1. prohibit
  2. exclude
  3. curse
  4. prohibition
  5. forbid
  6. eliminate
  7. condemnation
  8. outlaw
Verb
  • Earlier this year, Greenwood Village also amended its municipal code to prohibit low power e-scooters and class 3 e-bikes from city paths, trails and sidewalks.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, Illinois public and charter schools must generally prohibit students from using personal wireless devices from their arrival through dismissal.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of prohibit
Verb
  • The administration also pressed allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks, arguing that the company posed a national security threat because its equipment could give Beijing backdoor access to critical communications infrastructure.
    — GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of exclude
Noun
  • Along with the town’s hard-drinking fisherman Wyck (Root), and the town hall staff of Patricia (O’Flynn), Rosemary (Dickey) and Dale (Hiller), Loftis tries to ignore a centuries-old island curse while attracting tourists to the island.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In other cases Hoodoo was used to counter the threat of curses, as in the practice of suspending bottles from a tree to trap any malevolent spirits or witches traveling in spirit form.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Blind to Russia’s own staged electoral process, the Kremlin has repeatedly pushed the idea that the martial law prohibition on Ukrainian elections in wartime means Zelensky is illegitimate.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • DeSantis has signed strict legislation into law on the issue, including a prohibition on data centers passing on costs to ratepayers and new authority for local communities to reject data centers from being built.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Verb
  • Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images These days, shorts are worn just about everywhere, including at work, even by Mayor Mike Spano, in the city where they were once forbidden.
    — Mo Rocca, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In theory, Daniels could sue LSU for misappropriation of his right of publicity, which forbids the unauthorized commercial use of a college athlete’s name, image, likeness, signature, voice, nickname and other identifying traits.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of forbid
Verb
  • The Arkansas Medicaid program pays the premium and provides additional payments that reduce or eliminate enrollees' out-of-pocket expenses for medical care.
    — Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But creating a psychologically safe environment does not require leaders to eliminate standards, accountability or difficult conversations.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of eliminate
Noun
  • Whether Tlaib is motivated by animus toward Moskowitz and Wasserman Schultz for their censure votes and condemnations of her rhetoric, or by support for their progressive opponents Larkin and Manley — or a combination — is unknown.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Missing from the 62-page report — at least in the view of some longtime department observers — was any reflection about officers’ use of less-lethal weapons that left hundreds of people injured and drew strong condemnations from human rights groups.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Verb
  • California’s bid to outlaw ‘glow-in-the-dark rabbits’ and ‘unicorn horses’ through experimentation fails.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • If the Democratic Party wanted to pass a national version of the DPA, thousands of DSPs would be outlawed and hundreds of thousands of DSP employees would either lose their jobs or be hired by Amazon.
    — Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of outlaw

Browse Nearby Words

bamboozling
ban
banal
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Cite this Entry

“Ban.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ban. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ban

Nglish: Translation of ban for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ban

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