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
Simultaneously bars, and the most snide a contestant has been to the judges in a while. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 May 2026 Install grab bars in your bathroom by the toilet and in the tub or shower. Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026 Retail prices for coins and bars typically include premiums above the spot price. Usa Today, USA Today, 12 May 2026 And if a city break is more your thing, spend a few days in São Paulo visiting the bustling city’s stand-out restaurants, bars and galleries. Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 12 May 2026 Nurul Amin had spent 12 of his 14 months in America behind bars. Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026 While gold bars and bullion are popular options, coins also have another layer of value — some have rare designs or historical significance, therefore commanding higher prices. Liz Knueven, CNBC, 12 May 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 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
Verb
The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat. Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026 The law bars anyone from practicing medicine without a valid license. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026 The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case, seeking to determine whether federal law bars states from holding a company liable for failing to include a warning that the EPA reviewed and chose not to require. Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Transported deep underground, the steel beams will be used for the construction of massive detector modules that will help Fermilab engineers to study neutrinos, some of the most common and least understood particles in the universe.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
  • The first step involves getting 10 million pounds of steel beams underground through a 20-foot-wide shaft—and that only covers the first container.
    Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
  • Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Noun
  • In that case, use a drench to kill fire ant mounds.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 May 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
  • While many pubs have an affiliation with a specific team, Thelwell says Robin Hood is for everyone.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
  • Aside from the official Fan Festival, there are plenty of pubs and bars planning their own Texas-sized World Cup celebrations, from sprawling newcomer Craft with its bocce court for halftime games to tried-and-tested favorites like The Londoner, Cannon's, and Harwood Arms.
    Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 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
  • These obstacles seemed insurmountable, but the group pushed on for over three years.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
  • The stadium deal in Vancouver is one of the biggest obstacles in trying to keep the team there.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The college has also launched a broader review of its collections and handling of human remains, including new ethical standards for acquisition and repatriation, The Phoenix reported.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026
  • All signatures are legally binding and compliant with eIDAS and ESIGN standards.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • Republicans and Democrats divided on immigration Democrats were in lockstep on most issues related to immigration, including opposing Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids and supporting the sanctuary law that prohibits police from coordinating with the federal agency.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • Facebook, led by Silicon Valley billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, said its Restricted Goods and Services Policy prohibits content involving the trade in endangered and protected animals and plants.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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