as in refuge
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger
her cottage in the Lake District served as her bolt-hole whenever the stresses of London became too great
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Recent Examples of bolt-hole
One of the first, exclusive members-only social clubs, Soho House debuted in London in 1995 and quickly became the bolt-hole of choice for celebrities and the deep-pocketed.
—
Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
And for those familiar with the region, their bolt-hole of choice was no surprise: Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
His magical renovation of Villa Mabrouka—the late Yves Saint Laurent's Tangier bolt-hole, with a Slim Aarons–worthy kidney-bean pool just outside the casbah—is as immaculately dressed down as an insouciant white linen shirt.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted — boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2023
Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
And for those familiar with the region, their bolt-hole of choice was no surprise: Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
His magical renovation of Villa Mabrouka—the late Yves Saint Laurent's Tangier bolt-hole, with a Slim Aarons–worthy kidney-bean pool just outside the casbah—is as immaculately dressed down as an insouciant white linen shirt.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted — boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolt-hole
Noun
-
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a briefing on March 6 that about 100,000 people in Lebanon are seeking refuge from attacks in shelters.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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Instead of acting as a refuge, US government bonds took their cue from surging crude prices and yields shot up, with inflation fears taking center stage at a time when prices are already running higher than central banks would like.—
Michael MacKenzie,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The rooms are sleek, and a rooftop bar, pool, and executive lounge are modern gems throughout the property, creating a polished downtown retreat.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Andrew has moved to a property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, while Sarah’s whereabouts are unknown—although she has been rumored to be everywhere from the French Alps to the United Arab Emirates to wellness retreats in both Switzerland and Ireland.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
According to the Cypriot news outlet in-cyprus, an alert sounded Thursday and residents were instructed to remain in place until further official notification, and to move away from windows and take shelter behind or underneath sturdy furniture.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nayara Tented Camp pushes this forward by creating a sanctuary for sloths out of the reforestation of hundreds of native trees, to grow alongside habitats for native frogs, birds, and armadillos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
But gym CrossFit Loop and Stumpy's Pizza would have to close to make way for the church sanctuary.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The neighborhood/area Ocean Avenue is popular with tourists thanks to its high concentration of hotels and proximity to the beach, Santa Monica Pier, and pedestrians-only retail haven Third Street Promenade.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Besides energy disruption, the turmoil in the Middle East has shattered Dubai's status as a global wealth hub, as the rich scramble to escape the largely tax-free haven.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolt-hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt-hole. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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