Synonyms of harbor

harbor 1 of 2

noun

ˈhär-bər 

1

as in port

a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships

the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• port
• anchorage
• dock
• bay
• cove
• haven
• marina
• lagoon
• roads
• harborage
• estuary
• basin
• channel
• canal
• inlet
• narrow
• roadstead
• mooring
• fjord
• seaport
• embayment
• sound
• moorage
• loch
• bight
• creek
• gulf
• strait
• arm
• home port
• firth
• lough
• containerport

2

as in refuge

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger

seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place

Synonyms & Similar Words

• refuge
• shelter
• sanctuary
• retreat
• haven
• residence
• asylum
• harborage
• oasis
• sanctum
• port
• lodging
• anchorage
• abode
• bolt-hole
• dwelling
• mooring
• hideout
• housing
• fortress
• house
• rest
• quarters
• stronghold
• fort
• castle
• roof
• screen
• place
• cloister
• habitation
• domicile
• shed
• den
• closet
• lee
• cover
• diggings
• lair
• hideaway
• palisade
• lodgment
• pad
• redoubt
• covert
• windbreak
• hermitage
• fastness
• lean-to

harbor

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to have

to keep in one's mind or heart

he had long harbored a grudge against his old employer, who had high-handedly fired him without cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

• have
• hold
• retain
• cherish
• entertain
• cultivate
• bear
• keep
• carry
• hold on to
• maintain
• nurse
• hang on to
• treasure
• foster
• sustain
• preserve
• remember
• nurture
• support
• stick (to)
• hug
• cling (to)
• cleave (to)
• fixate (on or upon)
• brood (about or over)
• obsess (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• overlook
• disregard
• drop
• deny
• refuse
• neglect
• reject
• decline
• scorn
• repudiate
• abandon
• give up
• renounce
• discard
• quit
• desert
• forsake
• part (with)
• disdain
• abjure
• erase
• throw out
• expunge

2

as in to house

to provide with living quarters or shelter

the woods in our suburb harbor deer, foxes, raccoons, and skunks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• house
• room
• accommodate
• shelter
• camp
• lodge
• roof
• board
• chamber
• bunk
• quarter
• bestow
• home
• encamp
• take in
• domicile
• stable
• shed
• bivouac
• put up
• billet
• secure
• tent
• roost
• bed (down)
• ensconce
• barrack

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eject
• evict

3

as in to shelter

to be or provide a shelter for

the little cabin is harbored from the wind by a thick growth of pines

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shelter
• protect
• refuge
• house
• defend
• secure
• safeguard
• ward
• shield
• quarter
• place
• cover
• screen
• shade
• domicile
• shadow

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expose

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of harbor

Noun

Dimensions 8 and 24 harbor special symmetries that the researchers leveraged to cram them with spheres. — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

As proved during the Incat’s recent harbor trials, the combination of volatile fuel prices and rapidly evolving shore infrastructure is forcing operators to consider total electrification faster than anticipated. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Verb

Saudi officials harbored a long list of grievances with Qatar, including its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a global Islamist movement. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

In both cases, the characters at least initially try to avoid violence, and harbor aspirations more personal than pummelling opponents ad nauseam. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026