An Americanism dating back to 1950–55
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trading on Hyperliquid and Trade.xyz is currently off-limits to investors based in the U.S. for regulatory reasons.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Xi reportedly name-dropped his friend Putin to Trump last week, when the two leaders walked through Zhongnanhai, which is normally off-limits to foreign visitors, joking about how Putin had visited Beijing's political sanctuary before.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
In an extraordinary scene, the two presidents sparred on national television about the usually off-limits subjects of human rights and the Tiananmen crackdown.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Watching Rex Reed from my father’s off-limits black leather chair in the living room as my mother ironed was an uncomfortable experience for me.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
“It’s completely off-limits to, um, humans. Perhaps you would prefer dining in the basement. You’ll find sandwich machines there.”
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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.
