as in refuge
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger
her cottage in the Lake District served as her bolt-hole whenever the stresses of London became too great
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Recent Examples of bolt-hole
The Broadwick Soho’s Flute James MacDonald Broadwick Soho For 57-room bolt-hole Broadwick Soho, owner Noel Hayden was inspired by his 1980s upbringing in a quirky hotel in Dorset.
—
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024
Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted — boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2023
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024
Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted — boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolt-hole
Noun
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Sosa Rojas first fled persecution in Venezuela in 2014, seeking refuge with his family in Colombia, where his wife was born.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The hot springs retreat includes a 21-and-over area and a family zone, along with barrel saunas, fire pits, a café, and private cabanas.—
Brittany Anas,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Through the steady retreat from the assumption that power flows from — and must answer to — the people.—
Yohuru Williams,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Here's a list of warming shelters in the Baltimore area.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Visitors to the interpretive center can learn how native plants were used for food, shelter and medicine.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Conceived as a mobile sanctuary, it is presented as an invitation to step out of constant input and practise stillness, in Abramović’s long-running interest in time, attention and the relationship between artist and audience.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Back in 1971, when Schultz made his first declaration of sanctuary, Bennett Falk was a theological student.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Tucked in the back of the store, a book room is a bibliophile’s haven, where shoppers linger among titles warmed by an oversized hanging lamp and retro furniture.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
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Silver, another haven amid uncertainty, soared 16% this week and surpassed $100 a troy ounce for the first time ever.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolt-hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt-hole. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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