embargo 1 of 2

noun

im-ˈbär-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce embargo (audio)
Definition of embargonext
as in prohibition
an order that something not be done or used there's a standing embargo against the use of foul language in this house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

embargo

2 of 2

verb

as in to exclude

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 embargo
Noun
As gas prices spike and diesel hits record highs in Iowa, a group of Iowa Republicans joined a growing national call to address the issue through a suspension of the gas tax and putting an embargo on diesel exports. — Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register, 22 Sep. 2026 Spain’s current government too has been a fierce critic of how Israel has prosecuted its war in Gaza – calling it a genocide, imposing an arms embargo and recognising the state of Palestine, leading to rocky relations with the United States. — Muhammad Darwish, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
And unlike with fossil fuels, renewable energy costs aren’t volatile, and their fuel source — sunbeams and wind currents — cannot be embargoed. — Kathleen Biggins, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026 No cartel can embargo the wind. — Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for embargo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embargo
  1. prohibition
  2. exclude
  3. ban
  4. prevent
  5. shut out
  6. rule out
  7. preclude
  8. halt
Noun
  • Historically, politicians have kept a firewall between church and state to keep from crossing the First Amendment’s prohibition on a national religion or government restrictions that interfere with an individual’s expression of faith.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These young people have defied prohibitions on protest, breached draconian security clampdowns, and endured detentions to relentlessly question the government’s authority.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Verb
  • According to bond counsel, the amendment excludes the city's older 2018 and 2021 bonds from certain utility rate covenant and parity debt calculations.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Its newest Ray-Ban glasses don’t have a camera, excluding a controversial feature that raised widespread privacy concerns.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of exclude
Noun
  • Target agreed to a $5 million settlement and a ban on using geofencing technology to increase prices.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The ban had been imposed by the central elections committee, a political body dominated by Netanyahu allies, on the basis that the parties supported armed struggle against Israel.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of ban
Verb
  • Kenyan President William Ruto said in 2023 that government agencies should have been able to prevent the deaths.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The titanium frame will naturally handle all kinds of impact, and the flashlight's battery chamber is sealed to prevent water damage.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown had touchdown runs of 50 and 78 yards, but the Owls (1-6, 0-3) were shut out over the final 40 minutes and 59 seconds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Todd also mentioned feeling shut out from Grace’s thoughts and decision-making process; of course he’s been unsettled and worried as well as resentful.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shut out
Verb
  • However, Eisenkot has ruled out a coalition with the Arab parties, only one of which (the conservative-Islamist Ra’am) has ever agreed to join an Israeli government (briefly in 2021).
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Defense attorney Phil Barber said the findings could rule out certain individuals as contributors and may provide ancestry information, although the test cannot differentiate between men who share the same paternal ancestors.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rule out
Verb
  • As a result, spoiler vigilance is no longer just a matter of not giving away the ending of a film; sometimes even simply describing its over-all dramatic shape is enough to preclude suspense.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • More customization and settings could come to existing apps, precluding the need for people to roll their own.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of preclude
Verb
  • Another Supreme Court case made injunctions — the court orders that companies historically relied on to halt patent infringement — significantly harder to secure.
    — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Previous Ebola outbreaks were marked by allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds, which experts said have contributed to the mistrust of local communities, complicating the efforts to halt the spread.
    — Monika Pronczuk, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of halt

Browse Nearby Words

embarcaderos
embargo
embargoed
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Embargo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embargo. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on embargo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about embargo

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All