dens

Definition of densnext
plural of den
1
as in lairs
the shelter or resting place of a wild animal the foxes hid in their den until the bear finally left the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in hideouts
a place where a person goes to hide or to avoid others an abandoned building that is often used as a den by the city's petty criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dens My favorite book Tracking and the Art of Seeing taught you how to read animal signs, how to find claw marks on trees and dens in hollow logs. Emeline Atwood, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026 State biologists are monitoring dens for signs of new pups. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 May 2026 Spaces range from glorified game rooms, sports bars, speakeasies and hunting lodges to poker dens, studios and places to showcase career or travel highlights. Marni Jameson, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2026 There would be heroin dens and gay bars and this underbelly of popular culture at the time. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 While you may be tempted to blame other animals such as opossums or snakes, or even coyotes for making holes or burrows in your yard, these creatures are more likely to use existing animal holes for their dens. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 May 2026 Much of that has been concentrated in El Poblado, long a trendsetting neighborhood, whose dining scene is now made up of tasting menus, fermentation labs, and cocktail dens. Allie Lazar, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 The arrest comes amid a crackdown on gambling dens in the city. Jason Green, Mercury News, 1 May 2026 Once a staple of 1970s living rooms, basements, and dens, this wall treatment was meant to bring warmth and character indoors, but often did the opposite. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dens
Noun
  • These involve raiding the lairs of hoodlum rivals, then singlehandedly dissuading them from competition.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of the regional officials said strikes by Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighboring Iraq.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2026
  • One of the regional officials said strikes by Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighboring Iraq.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Most nests have just one entrance.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
  • Parents sipping hot chocolate and savoring their still-full nests and all of this taking place in America’s newest state-of-the-art football stadium.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • Their burrows are extensive, with at least two entrances.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
  • There are a few possibilities for non-gopher holes, including the Norway rat, voles, moles, rabbits, ground squirrels and snakes, which don’t dig their own underground burrows but take over old tunnels and improve upon them.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • Another rescuer in Namhkam, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said about 40 people were killed and more than 100 houses near the blast site were damaged.
    Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
  • Based in New Orleans and Paris, Eloueini Architecture is celebrated for designing houses that fold, twist, stagger and float with a restless energy that belies the simplicity of their forms.
    Fred Albert, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dens. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on dens

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