1
2
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the complication of the molecule is the biggest bar to reproducing it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
His law bars blocking highways within one mile of a service or approaching someone to hand them a flier within 100 feet of a place of worship.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Retail prices for coins and bars typically include premiums above the spot price.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Some restaurants and bars in Baltimore County will be allowed to serve cocktails to-go under a bill signed into law in Maryland Tuesday.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Another factor is the declining availability of publicly available third places such as parks, coffee shops, bars, or community centers—anywhere people can gather that isn’t their home or their workplace.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 May 2026
International visitors staying downtown will be able to move easily between hotels, bars, retail districts and fan events.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
As sports leagues have expanded from four channels to an endless array of options that now includes streaming apps, bars and restaurants are forced to make a hard choice that will cost them either money up front, or customers lost/alienated.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
Where is Riverside Prostitute Killer behind bars?
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The company is also currently appealing a court order that bars it from hacking WhatsApp messages that stems from a lawsuit WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, brought against NSO Group.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 19 May 2026
Budget reconciliation bills must comply with strict rules, including the Byrd Rule, which bars provisions deemed extraneous to federal spending or outside the jurisdiction of the committees that drafted them.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Filed by the Constitutional Accountability Center and Miami law firm Gelber Schachter & Greenberg, the suit argues that the transfer violates the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause, which bars states from providing financial benefits or gifts to a sitting president beyond an official salary.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 May 2026
The government claimed that the program was unlawful under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which bars credit discrimination based in part on race or ethnicity.
—Kristen Parisi, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The doctrine generally bars a party from raising a new argument on appeal that wasn’t raised earlier in the proceedings.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026
California bars insurers from using AI to deny coverage based on medical necessity.
—Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 2026
Under federal immigration law, second‑degree bail jumping is classified as an aggravated felony, a designation that generally bars lawful permanent residents from seeking cancellation of removal and most other forms of relief.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Noun
The area has since transformed into a contemporary cultural hub, home to the University of Tasmania’s Art School and countless galleries lined with cafés, restaurants, and bars.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
His law bars blocking highways within one mile of a service or approaching someone to hand them a flier within 100 feet of a place of worship.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Retail prices for coins and bars typically include premiums above the spot price.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Some restaurants and bars in Baltimore County will be allowed to serve cocktails to-go under a bill signed into law in Maryland Tuesday.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Another factor is the declining availability of publicly available third places such as parks, coffee shops, bars, or community centers—anywhere people can gather that isn’t their home or their workplace.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 May 2026
International visitors staying downtown will be able to move easily between hotels, bars, retail districts and fan events.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
As sports leagues have expanded from four channels to an endless array of options that now includes streaming apps, bars and restaurants are forced to make a hard choice that will cost them either money up front, or customers lost/alienated.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
Where is Riverside Prostitute Killer behind bars?
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Verb
But the administration counters that the law creating the Temporary Status Protection Program bars any judicial review of which migrants may live and work in the United States.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The company is also currently appealing a court order that bars it from hacking WhatsApp messages that stems from a lawsuit WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, brought against NSO Group.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 19 May 2026
Budget reconciliation bills must comply with strict rules, including the Byrd Rule, which bars provisions deemed extraneous to federal spending or outside the jurisdiction of the committees that drafted them.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Filed by the Constitutional Accountability Center and Miami law firm Gelber Schachter & Greenberg, the suit argues that the transfer violates the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause, which bars states from providing financial benefits or gifts to a sitting president beyond an official salary.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 May 2026
The government claimed that the program was unlawful under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which bars credit discrimination based in part on race or ethnicity.
—Kristen Parisi, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The doctrine generally bars a party from raising a new argument on appeal that wasn’t raised earlier in the proceedings.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026
California bars insurers from using AI to deny coverage based on medical necessity.
—Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 2026
Under federal immigration law, second‑degree bail jumping is classified as an aggravated felony, a designation that generally bars lawful permanent residents from seeking cancellation of removal and most other forms of relief.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
-
Built from the bones of a 12th-century hostelry, its hub is a vast, glamorous lounge bar complete with mixologists shaking modern-day mocktails under the ancient beams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
Fathers protecting newborns Wind roars with such force the steel beams supporting the hospital’s top floors twist 4 inches.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
What to read next The first image below shows wind streaks over craters on the Red Planet, with the streaks extending to about 30 miles (50 km) in length.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
20 May 2026
-
When were other notable sub-100,000 job creation streaks in the past half-century?—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Officially, Usyk won the fight via 11th-round TKO, but there are mounds of controversy around referee Mark Lyson's decision to stop the bout in the penultimate round.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
When the storm passed, the group of five was stuck under mounds of debris and unable to escape.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
The proximity of so many good pubs close to the stadium, good public transport, a place behind the Gallowgate to watch away games.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Beneath are the roofs and cobbled streets of the medieval Old Town, where ancient pubs stand among jewelers specializing in local jet.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Located just 2 miles away from the former insurance building that housed the residual mechanism, the ICC was set up as a permanent, global court to prosecute humanity’s worst crimes and forestall the need to create ad hoc tribunals for every conflict.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Black entrepreneurs continue to face tremendous obstacles securing funding, city contracts and institutional support.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
His other, more conservative but still expressive sets for RCA comprised a joint project with Coleman Hawkins, a recital of familiar bop tunes and a collection of standards.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
As a 42-year-old mom, my standards are admittedly high.—
Jill Layton,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Israel prohibits many construction materials from entering Gaza, so the structure was created by welding sheets of metal together and painting them white.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Shadé’s Law, passed in 2019, now prohibits people convicted of certain violent crimes from buying or possessing such weapons.—
Allen G. Breed,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
