boughs

plural of bough
as in branches
a major outgrowth from the main stem of a woody plant a tree bough fell on my car during the windstorm

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 boughs Van Sickle said 11 member tribes rely on treaty rights to harvest resources such as maple sap, cedar boughs and other forest products, essential for guaranteeing traditional ways of life on indigenous lands. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 The snow crunches under my feet, sifts from trailside pine boughs. — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026 One jumper is famous for having smothered miles of flames with his jacket; in Alaska, jumpers have used spruce boughs and burlap bags filled with moss. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 There is something magical about the trees—tourists travel miles to stand under their twisted boughs. — Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026 The day was otherwise cheerful; sunshine dappled through evergreen boughs. — Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026 Then use dead leaves, small boughs, or wood chips to fill in open spaces and make the bottom layer roughly level with the stump. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026 Laying the boughs over perennial beds for the winter to afford them protection from cold and wind. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026 Spray the underside of the branches, focusing on the cut ends of the boughs, Hunter says, because that’s where the moisture can be absorbed the fastest. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boughs
Noun
  • In response to questions for this story, individual service branches initially directed CNN to the Pentagon for information about the guidance families receive from the military when navigating divorce and child custody in foreign courts.
    — Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The Democratic Party branches in Orange and Riverside counties make no mention of the race in their official endorsement guides.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The findings, published in Nature Sensors, build on years of work developing interfaces that allow prosthetic devices to respond more like natural limbs.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Make sure there are no overhanging limbs that could combust; cut back and remove nearby grasses, brambles, and underbrush; and have a fire extinguisher ready to deal with any embers that float away.
    — Steven John, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Boughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boughs. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster