courts 1 of 2

Definition of courtsnext
plural of court
1
as in palaces
the residence of a ruler Hampton Court was the imposing residence of King Henry VIII

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2
as in courtyards
an open space wholly or partly enclosed (as by buildings or walls) the art museum boasts a glass-sided court that is filled with an array of greenery and sculpture

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3
4
as in judges
a public official having authority to decide questions of law if it please the court, I'd like to approach the bench

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courts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of court
1
as in woos
to act so as to make (something) more likely you're courting disaster if you keep playing with matches

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2
as in dates
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage they courted for a year before getting married

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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 courts
Noun
Tennis, pickleball, and padel courts at the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center continue the property’s long-standing connection to the sport, which stems from Key Biscayne hosting the Miami Open for three decades—until 2018—and becoming a destination for tennis pros. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026 The charges were dropped in November after state courts removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case for having a romantic relationship with another prosecutor. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026 William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. William Morris, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026 At Hodge Park, where the city recently installed pickleball courts, Willett said the energy code was applied to a shade structure over the benches, slowing down the project by several months. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026 That ordinance, which pushed the November 2025 election to November 2026, faced scrutiny from residents and the courts. Tess Riski january 8, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026 Davis' arguments have already been rejected by lower courts. Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 Owners also have access to Ascaya’s lengthy roster of amenities, which includes a 23,000-square-foot clubhouse, a resort-style pool, fitness and yoga studios, tennis and pickleball courts, a family park, and scenic hiking trails. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025 Although some funds have been restored because of lawsuits, the Supreme Court has allowed other cuts by the administration to stand while the cases move through the courts. Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
The ensemble cast includes Ellie Bamber as Eleanor’s sister, Beatrice, and Ed Suter as Edward’s loyal squire Richard, who courts Beatrice amid the escalating tragedy. Robert Lang, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025 Fox News, which courts an older linear audience, has put new focus on its reach via YouTube, X, TikTok and Instagram, among other venues. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courts
Noun
  • The subway line will eventually run beneath Roman landmarks including Trajan's Column, the Basilica of Maxentius and the Vatican, in addition to Renaissance palaces.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Ski resorts are struggling to open runs, walk-through ice palaces can’t be built, and the owner of a horse stable hopes that her customers will be satisfied with riding wagons instead of sleighs under majestic Rocky Mountain peaks.
    Mead Gruver, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Great views of Lisbon abound from numerous venues throughout the city, but this one, with its maze of towers, ramparts, and courtyards atop the highest hill in the city, is the most distinctive setting.
    Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Think stone pathways, textured wood, quiet courtyards and villas spaced cleverly so that none of them overlooks one another.
    Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Nuremberg trials also helped to establish precedents used in later international criminal tribunals, including those in the wake of the Bosnian war and Rwandan genocide, and influenced the formation of the International Criminal Court, which began operating in 2002 in The Hague.
    B.B. Blaber, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
  • That panel included two former judges who had overseen international criminal tribunals, a former legal adviser to the British Foreign Office, and Amal Clooney, a British Lebanese human-rights lawyer and the wife of George Clooney.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Regardless of which party is calling for the impeachment of judges, the outcome is unlikely to result in a conviction by the Senate.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race features mainstay judges RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, and Ts Madison.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Crowds and traffic became such an issue that in 2021, the park began requiring weekend visitors during the February Firefall dates to have reservations as a way to limit congestion and prevent crowds from trampling stream banks and parking illegally along Yosemite Valley’s sensitive meadows.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The Sheriff’s Office previous lease dates to 2015 and expired last year.
    Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Cleanliness Turtles are messy animals and require consistent attention to the cleanliness of their enclosures.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Aerial surveys revealed that 509 houses were scattered on the outskirts of the town center, though the exact function of the enclosures remains to be determined.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses.
    Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • The law includes a variety of provisions, including stricter bail rules for many violent offenses, a new protocol for judges and magistrates ordering mental health evaluations and funding for additional prosecutors in Mecklenburg County.
    Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 26 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Courts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courts. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

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