as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water a day spent trudging through the fens in quest of game birds

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 fen Out in the wild, the queen-of-the-prairie grows in moist black soil prairies and meadows, fens, seeps and springs. Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025 Saving a satyr The property features a peat-bearing wetland called a fen, and the Mitchell’s satyr is only found in these rare habitats that take thousands of years to develop. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Dec. 2024 Earth’s earliest wildfires may have been fitful and erratic, flickering among the amphibious flora of fens and bogs. Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024 They can be found on all continents and are classified into bogs, fens and swamps. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024 But after decades of habitat destruction, these handsome insects are now fragmented and locally extinct, holding out in the wettest fens, valleys, and peat bogs of the New Forest and Dorset. Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fen
Noun
  • Environmental groups successfully lobbied for the closing of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in 2009, launched barrier island rebuilds, and restored thousands of acres of marsh.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Later that day, Kirkpatrick confirmed that the United Cajun Navy's drone located his remains about 200 yards into the marsh, not far from where he was reported missing, according to FOX affiliate WVUE.
    Jillian Frankel, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Stretching about 31 miles, this flat, scenic trail follows a former railway line through wetlands, vineyards, and charming towns, all the way to Sandbanks.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The groups argue the center threatens sensitive wetlands that have protected plants and animals.
    Greg Norman , Danamarie McNicholl , Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The time a manager locked the front door at a sprint lest a tour bus swamp us a minute before closing.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • On the coast, there is a swampy coastal plain with mangrove swamps.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fen. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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