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
Members gather for occasional get-togethers at local bars and restaurants to share their love of tiki culture. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026 Some in county jails are there for just a few days, but others can stay behind bars for months or even years before their cases are tried in court. Amber Gaudet july 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. ABC News, 17 July 2026 One after the other refused to put the game on in empty bars. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 Budweiser and Michelob Ultra maker AB InBev, the World’s Cup’s official beer sponsor, doled out marketing support to bars and hosted 200,000 watch parties in 40 countries. Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 17 July 2026 The nearly 95-acre development will include restaurants, bars, conference space and about 3,400 electronic bingo machines. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 Retail prices for coins and bars typically include premiums above the spot price. Usa Today, USA Today, 14 July 2026 Ready in about 30 minutes, these bars are extra moist thanks to sour cream, and are filled with chocolate chips. Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 10 July 2026
Verb
Washington also bars its pension funds and college endowments from investing into Chinese firms developing sensitive technologies. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 July 2026 The ban bars the destruction of unsold apparel and shoes as an effort to curb overproduction that results in millions of tons of fashion waste. Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 14 July 2026 StubHub’s arbitration clause bars customers from joining class actions lawsuits over grievances. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 On March 30, a Paris court convicts Le Pen and other National Rally officials of misusing European Parliament funds, sentences her to prison and bars her from seeking public office for five years with immediate effect. ABC News, 6 July 2026 The law also bars commercial activity on the property and requires public access be maintained. Alex Wigglesworth Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 5 July 2026 In May, four Memphis residents filed a pending federal lawsuit seeking to block the federal task force from applying a law that bars residents from approaching within 25 feet of law enforcement officers to record their activities. Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 The restriction bars the Defense Department from working with any company represented by lobbyists who also work for entities blacklisted by the Pentagon for allegedly aiding the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Kate O'Keeffe, Fortune, 5 July 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, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • All have the particular quirks – wooden beams or quaint tiny windows – of a centuries-old property.
    Jonathan Samuels, TheWeek, 17 July 2026
  • The gambrel-roof’s shingles were pegged into roof beams rather than nailed, and the lath that held its plaster walls together was woven in place rather than nailed, according to an architectural survey of the county.
    Mark Price July 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • Excessive oil can clog the cloth’s fibers and smear grime across your stainless steel, creating unsightly streaks and residue.
    Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • The Sparks have alternated winning and losing streaks while coping with injuries to Kelsey Plum and a porous defense.
    Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Noun
  • Over the years, mounds, pottery shards and other relics of Native American settlements that once dotted the swamp have been discovered.
    Drew Kann, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • In an effort to starve the Native Americans of the Great Plains, white settlers massacred many millions of North American buffalo between 1870 and 1890, piling the animals’ skulls into monstrous mounds reaching up to the sky.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • But while the team’s exploits on the field could not match the success of its supporters, pubs in England — some of which are struggling financially — have been boosted by the boon in beer sales from the team’s run to the World Cup semifinals.
    Katrina Tudlong, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • It can only really be described by the faces of anguish and pure joy on the face of English supporters who have watched every second of their team’s campaign this summer – often packing pubs in the earlier hours for the chance to celebrate together.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • In 1996, the United Nations selected her as chief prosecutor of the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
    Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • However, engineers have historically run into two main obstacles.
    David Szondy July 16, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
  • Conversely, if only the ground robots had been employed, the defenders could have remained under cover until the robots exhausted their ammunition or blocked their advance with physical obstacles.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • Its economy is struggling, public services are strained and improvements in living standards have slowed to a crawl in recent decades.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding frequently result in accidents.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 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 23 Jul. 2026.

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