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
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 The company contends that since US regulators didn’t require a cancer warning, federal law bars those types of suits. Jef Feeley, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026 Maryland ethics law bars state employees from having secondary employment that would impair their impartiality. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2026 The effort faces an uphill battle, as Florida’s Constitution bars the drawing of districts with the intent to favor or disfavor a party. Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • In this elegant setting—a dining room set with Afropunk oil portraits and industrial-chic brass beams overhead—the fruit was presented as an aperitivo.
    Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
  • With cathedral ceilings, select pieces of midcentury-modern furniture, and exposed wood beams, the interiors are comfortable without being cluttered.
    Sarah Wood González, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This also marked the 88th straight draft that both Michigan and USC had a player picked, the longest streaks of any school.
    Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Despite a pair of six-game losing streaks and another five-game losing streak, the B’s were somehow able to grind their way to a 100-point season.
    Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 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
  • The workouts deserve a reward too, with plenty of cafés and pubs in the area to follow a long day on the water.
    Will Barker, TheWeek, 29 Apr. 2026
  • To cater to them both, the ship is equally split between sports pubs and jazz bars, burger and pizza joints and Greek and Italian restaurants, casinos and theatres, etc.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 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
  • The resolution was spearheaded by Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno and immediately prohibits senators and staff from the markets.
    William Earl, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

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