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
His magical renovation of Villa Mabrouka—the late Yves Saint Laurent's Tangier bolt-hole, with a Slim Aarons–worthy kidney-bean pool just outside the casbah—is as immaculately dressed down as an insouciant white linen shirt.
—
Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
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
Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
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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Wild Wonders typically runs more than 1,000 onsite and offsite educational programs each year, ranging from behind-the-scenes tours of the private wildlife refuge to zoo camps and sunset safaris.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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Their apartment only offers the slightest refuge from outside forces, and their real home is each other, which — as any siblings know — isn’t always an easy fit.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In November, researchers published findings about the deadly pathogens that ravaged Napoleon's soldiers during his doomed 1812 retreat from Russia.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In Tasmania’s Central Highlands, Pumphouse Point has new lakeside retreat suites overlooking Lake St Clair.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The city coordinates with community partners like Jericho Way to ensure transportation and shelter for homeless residents during periods when the city's temporary emergency shelter is demobilized.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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National organizations like the American Red Cross deployed more than 1,600 disaster workers and opened warming shelters in two dozen states.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For at least 15 minutes a day, your sanctuary will be a place for deep breathing, meditation and quiet serenity.—
Hunter Boyce,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Coral planting in Costa Rica, women’s empowerment projects in Morocco, artisan preservation in Japan and Sweden, and elephant sanctuaries in Botswana are embedded into itineraries.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The executive order also accuses Cuba of providing safe haven for transnational terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
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Beyond the metal’s safe haven status, prices are also being pushed higher because of strong industrial demand and lingering supply deficits.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolt-hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt-hole. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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