bars 1 of 2

Definition of barsnext
plural of bar
1
as in beams
a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide all of the prison's windows are partially covered with steel bars

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2
as in streaks
a line or long narrow section differing in color from the background the cat had a bar of white down her throat

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3
as in mounds
a pile or ridge of granular matter (as sand or snow) more than one boater has run aground on that treacherous bar of sand in the river

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4
5
as in tribunals
an assembly of persons for the administration of justice rather than try and convict the alleged murderer in the mass media, let justice be done at the bar

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6
7
as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared we need to raise the bar for what is acceptable behavior in this situation

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bars

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bar
1
as in stripes
to make stripes on barred the fence with white strips

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2
3
4
as in guards
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the bikeway was barred by a huge fallen tree

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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 bars
Noun
That’s how the system is supposed to work, and our agencies will keep at it as long as there are fraudsters around to put behind bars. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal. Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026 But here, the two staircases that lead from the marble foyer up to the check-in desks, restaurants, and bars have their own grandeur, something more restrained but still lavish. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026 However, Janes will spend some time behind bars. Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2026 She was initially ordered to serve her sentence at her daughter’s home, but a 2019 court ruling placed her behind bars for violating the terms of her confinement. ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 On a bright afternoon along Biscayne Boulevard, a Route 3 bus pulls up already packed, bodies pressed against windows, riders gripping overhead bars just to stay upright. Yaelis Pena, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026 Here’s your guide to 26 rooftop bars and restaurants around town — including two of the newest additions to the scene. Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026 Many bars settled on Kensington Avenue, close enough to attract workers but away from Pullman’s restricted area. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat. Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026 The law bars anyone from practicing medicine without a valid license. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026 The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case, seeking to determine whether federal law bars states from holding a company liable for failing to include a warning that the EPA reviewed and chose not to require. Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026 Islam bars charging interest, so banks find other ways to ensure people get a return, often by offering bondholders a share of profits or giving lenders an ownership stake. Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026 And many of the court’s six conservative justices seemed sympathetic to the Justice Department’s argument that the law bars courts from reviewing those determinations. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 The Department of Justice argues that the homeland security secretary has the power to end the program, and that the law bars judges from questioning those decisions. Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 In 2022, a judge found Jackson intellectually disabled, which bars him from the death penalty. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026 Anthropic’s supply-chain-risk designation—a label that effectively bars the military from doing business with the company, and that is typically reserved for companies with ties to foreign adversaries—was a clear example of the government flexing its muscles. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Transported deep underground, the steel beams will be used for the construction of massive detector modules that will help Fermilab engineers to study neutrinos, some of the most common and least understood particles in the universe.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
  • The first step involves getting 10 million pounds of steel beams underground through a 20-foot-wide shaft—and that only covers the first container.
    Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
  • Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Noun
  • These trees and shrubs range in size from compact mounds to pyramidal trees, offering endless design opportunities.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
  • At the new Orkin Discovery Zone inside the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, visitors can learn how termites and the mounds these bulbous invertebrates make have inspired the chimneys in our homes.
    Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • While many pubs have an affiliation with a specific team, Thelwell says Robin Hood is for everyone.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
  • Aside from the official Fan Festival, there are plenty of pubs and bars planning their own Texas-sized World Cup celebrations, from sprawling newcomer Craft with its bocce court for halftime games to tried-and-tested favorites like The Londoner, Cannon's, and Harwood Arms.
    Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • But through a series of deft legal maneuvers—joined to the ever more ambitious self-concepts of some international legal tribunals—Mauritius was able to win a second legal victory at another international tribunal, for the law of the sea.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The position will also represent the department in front of administrative tribunals such as the State Personnel Board and the California Department of Human Resources as well as assist the attorney general’s office on civil litigation matters.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado Updated February 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Still, travelers may encounter obstacles obtaining their refunds.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 2 May 2026
  • The case for and against a redo The obstacles to a redo are considerable, starting with the obvious security concerns.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • The Joint Commission, widely regarded as the gold standard in health care, evaluates organizations through rigorous and often unannounced inspections, ensuring that patient care, safety protocols, and clinical operations consistently meet the highest standards.
    Ascend Agency, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
  • Today, some of the most beloved musicals of the American theater can sometimes seem outmoded and vaguely inappropriate, since society’s standards have changed radically in the last 60 years.
    Marla Jo Fisher, Daily News, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Republicans and Democrats divided on immigration Democrats were in lockstep on most issues related to immigration, including opposing Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids and supporting the sanctuary law that prohibits police from coordinating with the federal agency.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • Facebook, led by Silicon Valley billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, said its Restricted Goods and Services Policy prohibits content involving the trade in endangered and protected animals and plants.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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