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
Italian department store La Rinascente is 15-minutes away on foot, and cosmopolitan Monti, with its bars and shops, is a 10-minute walk away. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026 McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 The new park includes several new restaurants and bars and five times more greenspace than the old track, which has been closed for more than three years. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026 Runner’s World reported that fraternities, sororities, bars and other organizations are already reaching out about hosting their own. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026 But as well as great bars, restaurants, sights and shops, Ghent, too, has canals, medieval buildings, cobbled streets, a belfry and castle. — Adrienne Wyper, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026 Turkish authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on the country’s LGBT community on Sunday, raiding gay bars and shutting down activist organizations, in what the government said are efforts to protect Turkey’s family values. — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Just off the main drag there were Indian-food stations, pasta bars, pretty young women in Prada sport pants giving out Dove Bars. — Devin Friedman, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 Kroger is upgrading wine sections at 147 stores, including some in Louisville, adding tasting bars and classes to help educate shoppers. — Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
Ukraine’s constitution bars elections from being held under martial law, which was introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 On Thursday, a federal judge in Virginia granted the preliminary injunction that bars the federal agency from obtaining this data while the litigation continues. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The Star reported this story over the course of several weeks following an anonymous Reddit thread that went viral detailing allegations about Jay Sanders’ misconduct and abuse at popular Kansas City-area bars Drastic Measures and Wild Child. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 The probation order bars Wasson from direct or indirect contact with Beckwith and requires him to complete anger management counseling within six months. — Casey Smith, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2026 Earlier this year, Frederick City Council passed the City Values Act, which bars immigration enforcement at city facilities. — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 7 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Two people were injured when a semi-trailer truck hauling steel beams hit the underside of the Lake Avenue bridge over the Edens Expressway near Wilmette on Thursday evening.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • However, the irregular architecture, surviving wooden beams, and 15th-century chapel lend certain spaces genuine local character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • While vinyl siding can be beautiful, rust streaks and mold growth can ruin its appearance, making your entire home look drab and neglected.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
  • They were illuminated as dull streaks of red, as the group’s flashlights were covered with red tape to reduce the light.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Although garden mums are considered hardy to Zone 5, breeders have developed fall mums with big mounds of showy flowers that may not be as cold-hardy as in the past.
    — Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • The Mahony Group runs three pubs and five backpacker hostels around Australia, from Melbourne in the state of Victoria to Cairns in the far north.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Once industrial and overlooked, this area is now one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods—home to galleries, boutique shops, pubs, and canal-side cafés.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The arm of the Defense Department provides legal counsel for people facing military tribunals.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • But there are multiple obstacles to pivoting the US potash supply, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s doubts about a deal.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And SpaceX will need to overcome those obstacles to Starship’s full operational status soon.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Brand standards ensure spectacular services and top notch amenities and comfort.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Residents will have a chance to weigh in Saturday during a community meeting for the downtown Lincoln master plan and its objective design and development standards.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 17 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 24 Sep. 2026.

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