bars 1 of 2

noun

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
as in pubs
a place of business where alcoholic beverages are sold to be consumed on the premises a bar that serves meals as well as drinks

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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
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult the complication of the molecule is the biggest bar to reproducing it

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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
as in prohibits
to order not to do or use or to be done or used corporal punishment has long been barred in most public schools

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3
as in bans
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of beach-goers are barred from walking in roped-off sections of the beach to protect nesting birds

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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
The spread features Reese's, KitKats, and Cookies ‘n’ Creme bars among its chocolate offerings, as well as plenty of marshmallows and graham crackers. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026 More news Record-breaking king tides have flooded beachside bars and restaurants, from Redondo Beach to Long Beach. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026 At Publix and Walmart, the big-bag assortments of mini chocolate bars run between 14 cents to 22 cents per piece, but that can still get pricey in a hurry for people who live in complexes with large populations of kids trolling for treats. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026 The collection of Westport bars is located at 4124 Pennsylvania Ave. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026 After struggling to convince people in her social circle to forgo late nights at bars for early weekend mornings spent running and at hot yoga classes, the 26-year-old founded a run club called Energy in Liberty Lake, Washington. — Alex Harring,brandon Gomez, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026 After 10 to 15 minutes, remove from the pan and cut into 2 1/2 by 3/4-inch bars. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 Footwear developments include the RDJ 7/3 double-raschel machine, whose three jacquard bars allow manufacturers to create larger openings, differentiated functional zones and multicolor designs. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
Both letters cited the National Voter Registration Act, a federal law that bars states from systematically removing ineligible voters from state voter rolls during the 90 days before an election. — Miles Parks, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026 The draft also bars other federal departments, agencies, and officials from suspending a model’s development, deployment, or internal use. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 The National Flood Insurance Program, which covers the vast majority of flood insurance policies in the country, bars communities from allowing dry floodproofing of homes in flood zones. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Its central argument is that nothing in Indian law or the OCI regulations bars a cardholder from attending a protest. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 The directive bars brands from turning a benefit tied to one feature into an environmental claim about the whole product. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 The temporary restraining order by Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan federal court also bars the Department of Homeland Security from spending any more of the $20 million allocated for the ad campaign. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Specifically, the law prohibits municipal governments from requiring businesses to set specific wages, benefits or working conditions under contract, and bars them from forcing businesses to join task forces formed to address those issues. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026 One of Broward’s rare breakout pop acts, Black Violin’s Wil B and Kev Marcus are Dillard High grads who began turning heads playing hip-hop on viola and violin at Fort Lauderdale bars about 20 years ago. — Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
  1. beams
  2. streaks
  3. mounds
  4. pubs
  5. tribunals
  6. obstacles
  7. standards
  8. stripes
Noun
  • There is the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau on an island in the Loire Valley, plagued by flooding, as well as the opposite—receding water levels that expose its wooden, foundational beams to air and decomposition.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Having worked ahead of their schedule, Menon and Kutryk removed some of the beams holding the final iROSA in place on its temporary platform and rotated two launch locks that were used in its delivery on Dragon.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of beams
Noun
  • Corey Seager is an elite hitter, but even the best hitters go through hot and cold streaks.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • No pressure, no streaks to protect, no scores to chase — just a warm little escape in the cracks of our day.
    — Robert Hart, The Verge, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of streaks
Noun
  • Surrounding this former Franciscan convent were orchards and open fields and Native American burial mounds.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Spanning nearly 100 acres, Tavşanlı Höyük is one of the region’s most extensive Bronze Age mounds, and contains remnants of local Anatolian communities dating as far back as 8,000 years.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of mounds
Noun
  • Corti Brother’s is no hidden gem–it’s frequently written up in national food and travel pubs as one of the state’s best grocery stores.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After spending much of his late 20s and early 30s in traditional English pubs, Teti also noticed the lack of a real dive bar in the city – a staple in the US.
    — Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pubs
Noun
  • The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, while posturing as the guardian of a democratic transition, governed through massacres and military tribunals.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Any matters requiring legal enforcement are referred directly to the Texas judicial system, said the tribunal, which likened its work to the services provided by Jewish Beth Din courts and Catholic ecclesiastical tribunals.
    — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of tribunals
Noun
  • The robot dogs use two LiDAR sensors and four fisheye cameras to spot obstacles and navigate their surroundings.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
  • What to avoid Certain types of debt can create obstacles down the road.
    — Jayna Rohslau,Jasmin Suknanan,Senitra Horbrook, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of obstacles
Noun
  • To ensure top-tier data protection, the whole system is developed and operated under ISO 27001 standards, as per the release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Bowles distinguished between the legal standards for criminal prosecution and the university’s responsibility to address conduct that could threaten student safety or violate campus regulations.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of standards
Verb
  • Opt for scalloped French tips with blue fresco detailing, or stripes the color of the Tuscan sun.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 26 June 2026
Definition of stripes

Phrases Containing bars

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barrows
bars
bar sinister
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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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