as in fortresses
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
defenders at the border fortifications preparing for an attack
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Recent Examples of fortifications
Built as a Crusader castle around the 12th century on top of previous fortifications, it has also been used by Saladin’s Jerusalem army, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
—
Arkansas Online, 31 May 2026
French doors open to balconies with views across Chania toward the sea, and the citrus- and olive-filled garden is bound, in part, by the city’s ancient Venetian fortifications.
—Katie Silcox, Vogue, 28 May 2026
Cahir Castle Dating from the 13th century, Cahir Castle is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved fortifications.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
The Russian recruitment efforts have typically promised that university students can serve as drone pilots without risking their lives in bloody infantry assaults on Ukrainian trenches and fortifications.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Covering the sarcophagus Yellow daffodils bloom beside wartime fortifications at the Chernobyl plant as workers in ordinary clothes, with badges and special permits, pass through the restricted zone.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The fortifications on the southern and western sides stretch 1,312 feet long, predating the 1st-century legionary camp for which Vindonissa is famous.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Yellow daffodils bloom beside wartime fortifications at the Chernobyl plant as workers in ordinary clothes, with badges and special permits, pass through the restricted zone.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
The area that would be renamed Donnyland under the plan is 50 miles long and 40 miles wide, but holds Ukraine’s best fortifications.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
Arkansas Online, 31 May 2026
French doors open to balconies with views across Chania toward the sea, and the citrus- and olive-filled garden is bound, in part, by the city’s ancient Venetian fortifications.
—Katie Silcox, Vogue, 28 May 2026
Cahir Castle Dating from the 13th century, Cahir Castle is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved fortifications.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
The Russian recruitment efforts have typically promised that university students can serve as drone pilots without risking their lives in bloody infantry assaults on Ukrainian trenches and fortifications.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Covering the sarcophagus Yellow daffodils bloom beside wartime fortifications at the Chernobyl plant as workers in ordinary clothes, with badges and special permits, pass through the restricted zone.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The fortifications on the southern and western sides stretch 1,312 feet long, predating the 1st-century legionary camp for which Vindonissa is famous.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Yellow daffodils bloom beside wartime fortifications at the Chernobyl plant as workers in ordinary clothes, with badges and special permits, pass through the restricted zone.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
The area that would be renamed Donnyland under the plan is 50 miles long and 40 miles wide, but holds Ukraine’s best fortifications.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifications
Noun
-
The trailers show that Eternia was once a vibrant alien-like world with multi-colored forests, massive mountains and fortresses with towering faces carved into their entrances.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
-
And by the turn of the twenty-first century, most of those tiny bungalows had been replaced by sprawling estates—fortresses for the entertainment elite, where Oscar trophies adorned mantels and wealth guarded from disaster.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The defining moment of Hadi’s presidency came in 2014, when Houthi fighters swept south from their northern strongholds and captured Sanaa amid growing public anger over economic hardship and political instability.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
Israel has devastated Gaza in its campaign against Hamas and, in recent weeks, has targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Beyond the limestone façade, seven-and-a-half acres of historic gardens unfold within the city’s bastions, home to yoga classes in the summer.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
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Climb the 900-odd steps (or cop out in a car) for a walk through its eight baroque bastions and some breathtaking views.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Determined to assert their own vision of justice, Pontiac and others painted themselves for war, picked up their stockpiled arms, and attacked British forts, just two weeks after this hanging.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
In about an hour, the same window may carry you from sky-high towers and sharp city lines to mountains, palms, farms, and landmark forts.—
Hana Al-Khodairi,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
They were set in crumbling castles and moldering dungeons—that is, amid the rubble of a collapsing social order.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Today, the municipality doesn’t seem too eager to promote its affinity for the international language (its tourism office tends to focus more on local castles and caves), but Herzberg has achieved near-mythic status among some Esperantists.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortifications.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifications. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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