alcoves

plural of alcove
1
as in pavilions
a freestanding airy structure in a scenic setting (as a park) typically offering commanding views a small alcove in one corner of the backyard garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in nooks
a hollowed-out space in a wall an ancient vase in an alcove and a sculpture of Achilles on a stand in the museum's Greek Hall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 alcoves There were no bedrooms, just sleeping alcoves set into the walls. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026 Incorporating antique finds, greenery, and utilizing your home’s quirky features, like alcoves and nooks, are just a few of the ways your home is set apart from the rest on the block. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026 Inside, antique art hangs on walls, tamgroute (local pottery) lines small alcoves, board games are stacked inside cupboards, and coffee table books have plenty to dive into. — Katie Silcox, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2026 They were inspired by the Curtain of Courage Memorial outside the San Bernardino County Government Center — 14 bronze alcoves, each curved like a protective wall and dedicated to one of the victims. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Set in alcoves, these structures included single-room storage units for food, all the way up to 150-room villages, such as Cliff Palace, which once housed about 100 people. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026 By that time Dame Frances had established the idea of theaters of memory—imaginary architectural structures, replete with columns and alcoves and windows, where items can be placed for later recollection. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 The food court was completely shuttered, and the Coca-Cola vending machines had been yanked from their alcoves. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 Meanwhile, the two-story cottages include nap nooks, snug reading and rest alcoves. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alcoves
Noun
  • The pavilions — along with another grill and a section featuring Evanston and North Shore food — are open before and during games.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For more than a decade, Paz, a former mining magnate, provided the funds to acquire artworks, commission large-scale projects, and build pavilions for individual artists.
    — Mercedes Ezquiaga, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This resort is a fantastic place for sun-seekers to unwind amidst lush Mediterranean scrub, rocky nooks, translucent waters, and thalasso pools.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Since moving in, each member of the family has found their favorite nooks.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Four of these angles implicitly frame the corners of a square, while a fifth seems to indicate a wider area around it.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Then came an outpouring of recollections, anecdotes and tributes, from all corners of the internet.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There, trenches, benches, niches and other architectural devices are carved into the floor and walls—adding to the drama of the paintings covering the walls.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • When the catastrophe wiped out their massive non-avian relatives, the bird lineages that survived were positioned to take advantage of newly vacant ecological niches.
    — Kevin Brown, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Alcoves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alcoves. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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