God forbid

Idioms  

1. Also, heaven forbid. May God prevent something from happening or being the case. For example, God forbid that they actually encounter a bear, or Heaven forbid that the tornado pulls off the roof. This term, in which heaven also stands for “God,” does not necessarily imply a belief in God's direct intervention but merely expresses a strong wish. [c. 1225] For a synonym, see perish the thought.

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Example Sentences

And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

The biggest obstacle, apparently, is figuring out the specifics of what to allow and what to forbid.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2025

Some go further and seek to forbid all forms of dating, embracing a "courtship" model almost indistinguishable from arranged marriage.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2024

But the hearing gave a platform to a small, vocal group of scientists who want to forbid certain GOF studies.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 12, 2024

But that was the only time Bri escaped from the apartment, and Alex couldn’t find it in his heart to forbid her.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer