shelter
verb
sheltered; sheltering
ˈshel-t(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to constitute or provide a shelter for : protect
has led a sheltered life
2
: to place under shelter or protection
sheltered himself in a mountain cave
3
: to protect (income) from taxation
: to take shelter
Examples of shelter in a Sentence
A cave sheltered the climbers during the storm.
They sheltered in a cave while they waited for the storm to pass.
Recent Examples on the Web
The City Motel Program, which has sheltered over 2,000 children since 2020, is being run differently as of Monday, through what is now called the Emergency Shelter Voucher program.
—
Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Two engineers were injured while moving to shelter.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 2 June 2026
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more help from the United States after the strikes, which left people trapped under the rubble of apartment buildings and residents scrambling to shelter underground as smoke billowed over the capital Kyiv.
—Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shelter
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Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Two engineers were injured while moving to shelter.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 2 June 2026
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more help from the United States after the strikes, which left people trapped under the rubble of apartment buildings and residents scrambling to shelter underground as smoke billowed over the capital Kyiv.
—Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shelter
Cite this Entry
“Shelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelter. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shelter
1 of 2 noun
shel·ter
ˈshel-tər
1
a
: something that covers or protects
an air raid shelter
a fallout shelter
b
: a place that provides food and lodging (as to the homeless)
c
: a place that houses and feeds stray or unwanted animals
2
: the state of being protected
take shelter from a storm
shelter
2 of 2 verb
sheltered; sheltering
-t(ə-)riŋ
1
: to be a shelter for : provide with shelter
2
: to find and use a shelter
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