1
as in to nestle
to establish or place comfortably or snugly the kids had contentedly ensconced themselves on the couch before the TV happily ensconced in her new home

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2
as in to conceal
to put into a hiding place ensconced the spare house key in a place where no intruder would think to look

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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 ensconce And with the President safely ensconced behind the castle walls, the royal charm offensive has begun in earnest. Amanda Castro hannah Parry shane Croucher jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 Quick-witted and unapologetically direct, he has long been ensconced in notable New York City circles. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025 His hand, protectively ensconced in a sliding mitt, touched the bag before the tag. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025 Other additions to the Messages app, at least for people safely ensconced in a group of blue-bubble friends, are live-updating polls, and typing indicators that tell you which person in a group chat is typing. ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ensconce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensconce
Verb
  • There are no direction markers, no information board to explain that here, nestled between an air-conditioner repair shop and a gaming cafe, lies one of Brazilian football’s holy sites.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Enchantment Resort is an upscale oasis nestled in the canyon.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her open limbs dangle all over the velvet, her pubic triangle hardly concealed.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
  • What begins as a crime caper morphs into an unexpected rom-com as Jeff spends more time with Leigh’s family and even joins her local church, all while concealing his real identity and living behind a display of bicycles at Leigh’s workplace.
    Keaton Bell, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The ex-councilor pleaded guilty on May 5 to two of six charges — one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a federal program — that had been lodged against her in a December 2024 federal indictment.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The latest ceasefire quickly showed signs of fragility as both sides lodged complaints about how the other was handling the rollout of phase one, but the agreement has continued to hold as of Tuesday.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the end, Kate convinces the prime minister to bury both the sub and the Poseidon in concrete on the ocean floor, instead of it getting taken away.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • To detect these elusive particles, scientists are working to build enormous instruments (neutrino observatories) in the quietest environments possible, such as deep underwater or buried in ice.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Last year, moments included a violinist perched 15 feet in the air with a cascading 20-foot dress, a crew of mythic horsehead creatures, the Raven, the Jester, Cersei, and Arachnea.
    Jenny Adams, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Two seats for passengers in the back fold beneath the area where a casket would perch.
    Laura Lane, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, the bags don’t actually hide anything; in fact, they are reserved specifically for, and definitively signal, the drinking of alcohol.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The measure, which has failed to make it through the Legislature twice before, would require insurance companies to cover additional screenings, like an MRI, for women diagnosed with breast tissue that can hide cancer from traditional mammograms.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • It was situated in an alcove, positioned in the shine of a colored light.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
  • After a rookie campaign that earned him unanimous Rookie of the Year honors and positioned him as one of the league’s elite defenders, his sophomore season was cut short by a shoulder blood clot.
    Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This is called a bifurcation, or a point where a system can settle into one of two different stable states, depending on small differences in conditions.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • That said, there’s a real sense that the dust is starting to settle.
    Paul Chai, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ensconce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensconce. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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