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
Simultaneously bars, and the most snide a contestant has been to the judges in a while. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 May 2026 Install grab bars in your bathroom by the toilet and in the tub or shower. Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026 Retail prices for coins and bars typically include premiums above the spot price. Usa Today, USA Today, 12 May 2026 And if a city break is more your thing, spend a few days in São Paulo visiting the bustling city’s stand-out restaurants, bars and galleries. Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 12 May 2026 Nurul Amin had spent 12 of his 14 months in America behind bars. Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026 While gold bars and bullion are popular options, coins also have another layer of value — some have rare designs or historical significance, therefore commanding higher prices. Liz Knueven, CNBC, 12 May 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 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
Verb
The legislation also prohibits ICE and Border Patrol from housing immigrant detainees in Allegheny County Jail, and bars officers from accessing Allegheny's databases and other equipment as part of their operations. Finch Walker, USA Today, 13 May 2026 The doctrine generally bars a party from raising a new argument on appeal that wasn’t raised earlier in the proceedings. Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026 California bars insurers from using AI to deny coverage based on medical necessity. Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 2026 Under federal immigration law, second‑degree bail jumping is classified as an aggravated felony, a designation that generally bars lawful permanent residents from seeking cancellation of removal and most other forms of relief. Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026 California, though, has a law that bars insurers from using driving data to set rates. Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026 Advertisement Japan’s constitution, which was written and imposed upon the country by the United States after World War II, bars the country from going to war. Bobby Ghosh, Time, 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Western automakers have spent years trickling pixel-headlight features out cautiously, partly because regulations in markets like the US have historically been slow to allow adaptive driving beams in the first place.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 May 2026
  • The house has been preserved to highlight some of the more old-world aspects—spot wood beams, stone floors, and aqua window frames in nearly every room—for a taste of traditional Cycladic style.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Sennecke’s big postseason continues With a goal in his fourth consecutive game, Sennecke joined Auston Matthews, Nicklas Backstrom and Logan Couture as rookies with four-game goal streaks in the playoffs over the last 25 years.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • They are tied with the longest active hitting streaks on the team.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Cooking utensils and small mounds of clothes are kept in plastic bags or heaped on the ground.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
  • And intriguing earthen mounds, built by prehistoric Native Americans more than 1,000 years ago, dot Greenwood Village interpretive site.
    Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • But people are also doing it in pubs as well, and everyone’s up having to sing.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026
  • Many blocks inside what is called the old town are closed to vehicles, so pedestrians can easily meander in and out cafes, pubs and shops.
    Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 10 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
  • The finale is leading to a big convention showdown between Hypergnosis and PINATA, which are each working through obstacles that any responsible company would iron out before going public with their product.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 May 2026
  • The incidents involving contact with chains, trailer hitches, poles, and curbs indicate recurring limitations in detecting smaller or irregular obstacles, especially during reversing maneuvers.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • The defense called just one witness – an expert in education administration and school safety who testified Parker did not breach professional standards or act with indifference.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
  • On top of misquoting statutes and misrepresenting legal standards, the filing also made broad claims about what constitutes doxing without citing a single case to support their stance.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Israel prohibits many construction materials from entering Gaza, so the structure was created by welding sheets of metal together and painting them white.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
  • Shadé’s Law, passed in 2019, now prohibits people convicted of certain violent crimes from buying or possessing such weapons.
    Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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