fens

noun

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

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 fens The wind reaches the fens of eastern England before the light does, moving over the marshes in long gray sweeps. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 Poison sumac is typically found in fens and indicates wet soil, MSU said. — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 10 July 2026 Commoners relied on swamps, fens, forests, and heaths for fuel, gravel, stone, and wood to make tools and to build and repair houses. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026 Bogs and fens are areas that accumulate peat – deposits of dead and partly decomposed plant materials that form organic-rich soil. — Jon Sweetman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fens
  1. marshes
  2. wetlands
  3. swamps
Noun
  • Flores owns a private island in Louisiana’s marshes called Little Pecan.
    — Rachel Nostrant, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Frith has three friends with her when she’s first seen traversing the marshes.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of marshes
Noun
  • South Windsor’s wetlands board approved the proposal this summer, and the Newburys are now seeking a zoning permit.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The same principle applies to conservation protections covering much of the former Winter Springs Golf Course, our wetlands and our mature tree canopy.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of wetlands
Noun
  • Staying safe from alligators in Florida Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for centuries and are found in all of Florida's 67 counties.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Stories — real or not — circulated in the 19th and early 20th centuries of White people using Black children as bait while hunting in Florida’s swamps.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of swamps

Browse Nearby Words

fends (off)
fens
feral
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Cite this Entry

“Fens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fens. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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