Definition of citadelnext
as in fortress
a structure or place from which one can resist attack a massive stone citadel continues to command the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 citadel The area was once a citadel complex in the time of King Herod, who ruled from 37 to 5 B.C. after he was appointed king of Judea by the Romans. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025 The sprawling citadel — complete with towers, walls and barracks — was discovered at the Tel el-Kharouba archaeological site in the Sinai Peninsula, according to an Oct. 11 news release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025 Climb the fortress trail to San Giovanni—a crumbling hilltop citadel that once guarded the city from Ottoman sieges—where the vistas stretch like a myth across fjord-like waters. Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Archaeologists have identified citadels and temple sites all along Vietnam's coast and throughout the mountains of Laos and Cambodia. Michelle Jana Chan, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for citadel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citadel
Noun
  • The first follows the Rajput king Ratansen of Chitor (a fortress in what is now Chittorgarh, Rajasthan), who renounces his throne and travels as a yogi (wandering ascetic) to the island kingdom of Simhal to win the legendary Padmavati.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
  • In October, archaeologists found a fortress that was built along the ancient military road mentioned in the Book of Exodus.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The city is located outside of Milwaukee in the Republican stronghold of Waukesha County.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Denver is a Democratic stronghold, meaning that whoever wins the primary is all but guaranteed to win the general election.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Israeli officials further compounded those fears Wednesday, with Avichay Adraee, Israel’s Arabic-language spokesman, accusing Hezbollah of moving beyond its traditional bastions of support in the southern suburbs of the capital and embedding itself in north Beirut and mixed neighborhoods.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
  • And our backstop—for a lot of us, sort of last bastion—was work.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Over many years, Iran has built underground fortifications and facilities to protect its missile and drone inventory.
    Daniel Kurtzer, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Mission Foods began fortification in 2024.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The main difference is that Ruisdael cranes upward, to behold a castle on a hill, whereas Vermeer levels his gaze across open water.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Her castle is a 90,000-square-foot mansion in the humid reaches of central Florida, styled after the Palace of Versailles.
    Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • These individuals shaped Charleston’s politics and economy by building canals, roads, bridges, forts— virtually all the colony’s infrastructure—but their contributions were not documented and their names are unknown.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The fort’s archictecture is unusual.
    Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Citadel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citadel. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

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