bars 1 of 2

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
According to French magazine Le Point, Sarkozy had refused to eat anything except yogurts during his nearly three-week stint behind bars, reportedly due to fear other prisoners might spit in his food. Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025 Instead, he was seen walking through the West Executive entrance, which is off-limits to reporters, and footage of the Syrian leader was captured behind the steel bars of the dividing fence. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 10 Nov. 2025 Falcon, who served three decades behind bars and then largely disappeared, has plenty of stories to tell. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025 Despite being behind bars, Exotic’s social media presence has remained unusually active. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025 Check out some of the oldest and most iconic dive bars in Phoenix. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025 Desserts include chocolate truffle torte, pumpkin–tahini cheesecake bars, white chocolate-cranberry bread pudding, cookies and brownies. Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025 There aren’t a lot of bars anywhere in the world that have a visitor center. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025 What are some of your favorite bars on the third verse? Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive that temporarily bars MD-11 planes from flight just days after a UPS plane of the same model crashed in Louisville. Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Nov. 2025 That law bars discrimination in contracts — and Mainen argues that students have a contract with educational facilities to receive a harassment-free education. Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025 While the law bars exclusionary voting laws, it has been widely interpreted to require creation of districts specifically to increase chances for racial groups to elect representatives from their communities. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025 The move was considered a first step before a potential eminent domain action, which some attorneys viewed as a potential violation of Colorado law, which bars the use of public condemnation powers to benefit a private party. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025 While candidates for office can still work the polls, Ohio law bars them from doing so in places where people may be voting for them. Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2025 But in the new guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asserts that federal law bars states from restricting medical debts from credit reports, arguing that only the federal government has this authority. CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 But the Speaker noted the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which bars any person from winning the White House more than twice. Tara Suter, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2025 The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Light wood beams and moldings, thick rugs underfoot, and minimalist furnishings tempt even the most dedicated skiers to stay indoors.
    Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Le Teendezvous was a converted horse stable — dim lights, wooden beams, and a smell that said livestock once lived here.
    Henry Selick, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The Broncos put to bed one of the last long losing streaks on their current ledger against the Raiders.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Chris Kreider scored twice and Cutter Gauthier and Carlsson each had a goal and an assist to extend their point streaks to eight games for the Ducks.
    Oc Register, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Boxes of white rice, cans of vegetables, chocolate chips and pasta rested at the top of one of the mounds of food.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Japanese anemones produce dense mounds of deeply toothed foliage that remain nearly evergreen in mild climates.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • British pubs can be intimidating for visitors.
    Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Folks show up in full lederhosen, while polka and oompa tunes waft out of the town’s pubs and wineries.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That panel included two former judges who had overseen international criminal tribunals, a former legal adviser to the British Foreign Office, and Amal Clooney, a British Lebanese human-rights lawyer and the wife of George Clooney.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Winding its way through tax tribunals and the county treasurer's office all the way to the Michigan Court of Appeals through a trail of unseen revocation notices, jurisdictional conflicts and behind-the-scenes bureaucratic handwringing, that eventually got worked out.
    Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Desert plants replace mountain vegetation and offer new obstacles.
    Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • When entering new environments, guide them carefully to highlight potential obstacles.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standards) to this season seemed due more to poor puck luck.
    Sean Gentille, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For starters, he or she will be armed with some of the top TV and film incentives in the nation, crediting up to 40 percent of qualified expenses against taxes for productions that meet a series of minimum standards.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • As this unfolds, the NCAA is also toying with changing its longstanding policy that prohibits college athletes and staff members from betting on professional sports.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Immergut’s injunction allows federalization orders to technically remain in place but prohibits troops from being deployed in Oregon without clear legal authority.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

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