1
as in prohibits
to order not to do or use or to be done or used the company absolutely bans smoking within its buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excludes
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of the university banned those caught in the cheating scandal from graduation ceremonies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in curses
a prayer that harm will come to someone a father's ban upon his ungrateful son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prohibitions
an order that something not be done or used a quiet seaside resort with a ban on the drinking of alcohol in public places
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 bans
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026 More than 60% of voters approved the Fair Districts Amendment in 2010, which bans partisan gerrymandering and redrawing maps to dilute the power of racial minorities. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026 The burn bans mark Georgia's first-ever. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 Colorado already bans prop bets on college athletes’ performances. —Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026 The launch comes ahead of the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT), which bans companies from greenwashing through misleading sustainability claims and requires brands to substantiate environmental claims. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2026 Vapes are not subject to the ban, but laws restricting the sale of vapes and nicotine products will be strengthened under the new legislation, as will bans on smoking in public places. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026 DeSantis scheduled the session for late April as the nation awaits a Supreme Court ruling on a key section of the Voting Rights Act that bans discrimination in voting systems. —Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026 In Iowa, an appellate court ruled earlier this month that the state can enforce a law that limits teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ topics with students in kindergarten through the sixth grade and bans some books. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 However, the practice exists in a legal gray area, with sellers facing potential bans due to Etsy's policy on metaphysical services. —Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Other states are adopting similar bans and laws against outside harvesting. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026 Beyond those bans, the marketplace remains largely unregulated. —ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 Though bans were set to take place in New York City and Chicago, they were reversed due to legal challenges. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026 An expanding Chinese body of regulation Beijing has built up an array of legal tools to put pressure on foreign companies, developed in response to American sanctions, export controls and investment bans. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2026 Soccer’s governing bodies have struggled for decades to eliminate racial abuse despite heavy fines, stadium closures, points deductions, halted matches and bans for both fans and players who break the rules. —Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 And also unlike other host cities like Boston and New York, the Linc has no tailgate bans for World Cup matches. —Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The law bans fees on the tax or tip portions of customers’ bills. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026 More than 60% of voters approved the Fair Districts Amendment in 2010, which bans partisan gerrymandering and redrawing maps to dilute the power of racial minorities. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026 The burn bans mark Georgia's first-ever. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 Colorado already bans prop bets on college athletes’ performances. —Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026 The launch comes ahead of the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT), which bans companies from greenwashing through misleading sustainability claims and requires brands to substantiate environmental claims. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2026 Vapes are not subject to the ban, but laws restricting the sale of vapes and nicotine products will be strengthened under the new legislation, as will bans on smoking in public places. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026 DeSantis scheduled the session for late April as the nation awaits a Supreme Court ruling on a key section of the Voting Rights Act that bans discrimination in voting systems. —Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026 In Iowa, an appellate court ruled earlier this month that the state can enforce a law that limits teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ topics with students in kindergarten through the sixth grade and bans some books. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Even though strict immigration quotas and bans became the law of the land in 1924, the issue persisted as babies born prior to passage of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act came of age into the 1930s. —Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 However, the practice exists in a legal gray area, with sellers facing potential bans due to Etsy's policy on metaphysical services. —Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Other states are adopting similar bans and laws against outside harvesting. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026 Beyond those bans, the marketplace remains largely unregulated. —ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 Though bans were set to take place in New York City and Chicago, they were reversed due to legal challenges. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026 An expanding Chinese body of regulation Beijing has built up an array of legal tools to put pressure on foreign companies, developed in response to American sanctions, export controls and investment bans. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2026 Soccer’s governing bodies have struggled for decades to eliminate racial abuse despite heavy fines, stadium closures, points deductions, halted matches and bans for both fans and players who break the rules. —Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 And also unlike other host cities like Boston and New York, the Linc has no tailgate bans for World Cup matches. —Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bans
Verb
-
The resolution was spearheaded by Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno and immediately prohibits senators and staff from the markets.— William Earl, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
-
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite this change, eligibility is narrow and excludes many people, including those sentenced to life without parole, despite evidence showing that people age out of crime and resentencing does not compromise public safety.— Nicole D. Porter, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
-
The Chinese version of Apple Maps doesn’t recognize the sovereignty of Taiwan, and the Chinese version of iOS excludes Taiwan’s flag from the emoji keyboard.— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tens of millions of downloads deep, among discussions regarding ongoing bear curses and the quiet art of being a decent person, Drew Barrymore has asked about boogers and Jane Fonda has asked about hope.— Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
-
There are still deliveries of hate mail from conservative neighbors who disapprove of their lifestyle, and occasional drive-bys punctuated with curses yelled from car windows, but they’ve largely been accepted by the community.— Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Schomburg spent his life defying these prohibitions and erasures.— Laura E. Helton, Literary Hub, 20 Apr. 2026
-
The injunction would bar Amazon from communicating with its vendors about the prices of its products on other online sites, among other prohibitions.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The use of the term caused alarm as international humanitarian law explicitly forbids armed forces from denying enemy combatants to surrender and instead killing them.— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
-
As recently as last week, Martinez declined to say whether anyone had been disciplined as a result of Patton’s death, citing state law that forbids the release of peace officer personnel files.— Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Islam bars charging interest, so banks find other ways to ensure people get a return, often by offering bondholders a share of profits or giving lenders an ownership stake.— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
-
And many of the court’s six conservative justices seemed sympathetic to the Justice Department’s argument that the law bars courts from reviewing those determinations.— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Invasive Species Management Act outlaws the sale and spread of 30 species, like the Bradford (or Callery) pear, Japanese barberry and running bamboo, throughout the Garden State.— Nick Caloway, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
-
Even if the Supreme Court soon outlaws the use of race in shaping congressional districts, state lawmakers still have to work within Florida’s Fair Districts amendment.— Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The other thing to note here is Havertz’s positioning, which prevents Murphy committing to pushing up on to Eze.— Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
-
Ultraviolet light is known to accelerate collagen breakdown and uneven pigmentation, so regular use prevents further damage and maintains skin quality.— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/bans. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
