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
Restaurants and bars added 59,000 jobs last month, construction companies 22,000 and manufacturers 16,000. Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Wilson’s whispering, Kermit-ish cadence juxtaposed with Heems’s audacious bars shorthands the borough’s rejection of one-size-fits-all characterization as one of the most diverse urban centers in the world. Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026 During the Viking Age, silver bars, jewelry and scrap silver were used as a means of payment and to store value, with their weight determining their value, according the museums group. Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Her millionaire’s shortbread bars are layered with caramel and finished with a smooth, decadent chocolate topping. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Restaurants and bars led with 59,000 new jobs, while government education rose by 42,000 and manufacturing contributed 16,000. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 Employment surged in restaurants and bars, which added 59,000 jobs in August, after averaging just 12,000 jobs gained each month over the past year. Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 Among the sectors that saw job growth during the month, employment at restaurants and bars rose by 59,000, while the local government education sector gained 42,000 as teachers returned to school. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 The next product category TikTok bars from Surprise Sets after iPhones, iPads, televisions, diamonds, gift cards and precious metals. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
State law bars judges from adding items to the ballot after Tuesday, a tight deadline that could scramble Hanaway’s efforts to overturn the ruling. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 But the likely fake accounts potentially set up a legal quagmire for Temu, as European law bars the use of misleading formats for advertising. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Now the siblings splurge on Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and Snickers bars from a federal prison in Miami where they’re being held pending an extradition request from the United Kingdom. Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 At issue are a raft of local and state laws that, in one side’s reading, plainly state that the city allows a maximum of three terms, which bars Altamirano from serving on the council again. Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Passed by the state legislature in 2017, Senate Bill 54 bars public agencies from using their resources to support operations by ICE, with limited exceptions for people who have been charged with a serious or violent crime. Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 The Central Elections Committee later ordered the video removed because election law bars the use of children in campaign propaganda. Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 Nepal's constitution bars the death penalty for any crimes, so the maximum sentence a court can currently impose is life imprisonment. Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The federal Internet Tax Freedom Act bars the taxation of e-commerce if similar services are not taxed. ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Original barn torn down The original barn was torn down and replaced with a rustic white structure with high ceilings, natural wood beams and enough space to accommodate around 200 guests.
    Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • These structural feats culminate at the building’s center, where arched steel beams span 185 feet over a public plaza — opening to Expo Park and the neighborhood — to frame a 90-foot-diameter oculus, floating four stories up.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This male bird’s lemon-yellow underside is adorned with fine black streaks that form a necklace across its breast.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • If the forecast holds, Wednesday would mark the 12th consecutive day with temperatures at or above 90 degrees in the metro area — extending one of the latest 90-degree streaks on record in Kansas City.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Sign Up for Our Free Daily Newsletter Some hills in northern Alabama are burial mounds from the Copena people who lived there 2,000 years ago.
    Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And in a sense, chocolate may have helped build the Mississippian mounds.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Oxford is a short drive away; consider a day trip to the historic city to wander through the colleges, go punting along the River Cherwell, or while away an afternoon in one of the many pubs or cafes.
    Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
  • On the less active side of things, the main downtown area is home to many pubs and restaurants, including the famous Pink Pony Club, which is great for lunch.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Based upon their replies, occupying Allied officials ranked their culpability, then tried the worst offenders — most famously in the Nuremberg trials, but also in numerous local tribunals.
    Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Lawmakers are prohibited by the state Constitution from being paid representatives for individuals or entities before state agencies other than judicial tribunals.
    Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • Both of them agreed that the American dream is more alive now than ever before, despite some obstacles that younger Latinos are currently facing.
    Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The obstacles to the transformation of Taiwan’s navy are more institutional than technical.
    HOLMES LIAO, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Inspectors have found hundreds of allegedly fictitious facilities, while at least 833 kitchens have been shut down for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Both choices will serve students when faculty are clear about their ambitions and standards.
    Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Opt for scalloped French tips with blue fresco detailing, or stripes the color of the Tuscan sun.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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