Thesaurus results for BASTIONS

bastions

noun

plural of bastion

as in strongholds

a structure or place from which one can resist attack the rebel army retreated to its bastion in the mountains to regroup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 bastions But now, San Bernardino, Riverside and Kern counties — once considered bastions of affordability — are all right there with them. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 According to the Polish Armed Forces, the measures include the installation of Hesco bastions — wire and mesh structures filled with sand or gravel that are easy to set up as protective barriers — along with new observation and guard posts. — Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 The problem is, these companies act much more like private enterprises than bastions of science. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 Perhaps because the Venice Biennale remains one of the few bastions in the world defending freedom of expression, regardless of geographical origin or nationality. — John Bleasdale, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 The property’s infinity pool is one of its defining features, offering sweeping views across the surrounding bastions and historic landscape. — Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Magyar, whose party ousted Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party after 16 years in power in an April election, has started to overhaul Orban’s key bastions of power, including the state media. — CNN Money, 7 July 2026 America’s wild places seem among our last bastions of democracy and inclusion. — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 These organizations claim to be bastions of journalism, Defenders of Democracy, and heroes in the fight for truth in government. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastions

Noun

Whilst the regions that make up the former East Germany are AfD strongholds, Merz’s problem lies in the party’s rise in popularity across the country.

— Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
During the final phase of the war in Gaza, Israel and the United States caused significant military and economic damage to Houthi strongholds in Yemen.

— April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of strongholds

Noun

The horse was found amid structures and artifacts that have revealed more details of military and daily life inside ancient Egyptian fortresses, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a Wednesday statement.

— Ahmed Shawkat, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
One that could truly turn water into the biggest floating fortresses the world has ever seen.

— Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of fortresses

Noun

During the seven years that it was occupied by British forces, Manhattan had been ravaged by fires, picked over by looters, covered in fortifications, and swollen with refugees.

— Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
The historic military fort overlooks the entrance to the Halifax Harbour and boasts old fortifications, historic artifacts, and unbeatable ocean views.

— Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of fortifications

Noun

And yet Trump wants to turn the White House and an outpost on the Potomac into similar citadels, with little regard for why America’s capital city was named for one of its greatest examples of unadorned republican virtue.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Castellón To the north, Castellón unfolds as a mountainous marvel where medieval citadels, golden beaches, and tiny fishing villages create a landscape of contrasts, with the scent of citrus perfuming the air.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of citadels

Noun

Medieval Décor Medieval décor is stepping out of castles and into modern homes.

— Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026
There are Resident Evil games set in Spanish castles, runaway trains, ocean liners, weird mansions, the bayou, and strange theme-park-like villages, with bespoke creatures in each.

— Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of castles

Noun

Much of the stone used to construct Hadrian’s Wall and its forts and milecastles was recycled over the centuries, but the stone footings largely remain, as do the flanking ditches.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 2026
Under Spanish rule, able-bodied Malay men, from teenagers to adults, were required to perform 40 days of unpaid annual labor on roads, bridges, churches, forts, piers, plantations, haciendas and mines.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of forts

Browse Nearby Words

bastion

bastions

bat

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bastions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastions. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bastions

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tittle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes