off-limits
adjective
forbidden to be patronized, frequented, used, etc., by certain persons.
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off-limits
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off limits
off limitsadjectivenot to be entered; out of bounds
off-limits
American
[awf-lim-its, of-]
/ ˈɔfˈlɪm ɪts, ˈɒf- /
adjective
off limits
British
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of off-limits
An Americanism dating back to 1950–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Had university officials declared any bad news on campus off-limits and dialed up a soothing Wolverine win?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
For Ikra Altumsek, and many other Turkish tourists, a visa-on-arrival scheme to visit several of Greece's Aegean islands has greatly simplified travel to this corner of the EU, previously off-limits without a hard-to-get Schengen visa.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
McBride says the technology has transformed the work at Legacy Effects, where he is a lab manager, but he’s worried it will soon be off-limits because of a proposed change in California law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Unless cooked, vegetables such as green peppers, green onions, tomatoes and mushrooms were also off-limits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Not only were we not allowed to run water during the day, but the bathroom was also off-limits.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
But until recently, one of their sport’s most important products was off limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Behind him, a largely automated line of chemical vats is off limits to cameras because the process is patented by a Canadian company, Excir.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
It seems like nothing is off limits these days in L.A.’s most woo-woo wellness scenes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Hampshire Police said it had deployed marine units to aid in the search, and that the site was off limits, with people advised to avoid the area.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The trip to the islands would be off limits.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
