as in fortresses
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
a series of forts along the frontier
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of forts
Our chairs are for sitting on, not for constructing elaborate forts.
—
Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
From ancient forts and settlements to Roman roads, some of England’s most impressive Neolithic monuments can be found here.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
The wall runs east to west from the North Sea to the Irish Sea and has various forts like Vindolanda and towers regularly spaced.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Dec. 2025
Simply put, a glamping sleepover combines the fun of a slumber party with building forts in the living room—and a side of luxury—to turn things into a party.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 6 Dec. 2025
Even parks created around historic homes, forts, ships, factories, mines or a Cold War missile site tend to be set in some of the Bay Area’s most scenic locations.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025
When Columbus instructed settlers to build forts in large towns, Taínos attacked the settlers in large numbers.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Centuries ago in the Siwalik Mountains, a range in the outer Himalayas, ancient people built stone forts.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
From ancient forts and settlements to Roman roads, some of England’s most impressive Neolithic monuments can be found here.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
The wall runs east to west from the North Sea to the Irish Sea and has various forts like Vindolanda and towers regularly spaced.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Dec. 2025
Simply put, a glamping sleepover combines the fun of a slumber party with building forts in the living room—and a side of luxury—to turn things into a party.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 6 Dec. 2025
Even parks created around historic homes, forts, ships, factories, mines or a Cold War missile site tend to be set in some of the Bay Area’s most scenic locations.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025
When Columbus instructed settlers to build forts in large towns, Taínos attacked the settlers in large numbers.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Centuries ago in the Siwalik Mountains, a range in the outer Himalayas, ancient people built stone forts.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forts
Noun
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Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses.—
Haley Ott,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some are outfitted with dozens of pounds of explosives to self-destruct near fortifications or bridges.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Passmore’s magisterial, revisionist account of the Maginot Line—the network of French fortifications built in the 1920s and 1930s to stop a German invasion—challenges the conventional understanding of its role in World War II.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Now, only small pockets of staghorn colonies remain farther north, including near Fort Lauderdale, where reefs around Port Everglades now represent one of the species’ last natural strongholds in the continental United States.—
Teresa Tomassoni,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Electoral officials face questions about the failure of biometric voter identification machines, which caused delays Thursday in the start of voting in urban areas — including the capital, Kampala — that are opposition strongholds.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In her conversations with health officials around the country, Balfour has found that there is increasing backlash towards the growing number of people who are unhoused, even in liberal bastions such as San Francisco and Seattle.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
2 Jan. 2026
-
After tenures at Atlanta bastions like Miller Union, pastry chef Claudia Martinez is now taking the driver’s seat with a star-studded crew behind her.—
Su-Jit Lin,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The rousing trailer finds Prince Adam bored to death hiding out at a generic corporate desk job on Earth when his precious sword is discovered, which sends him on a wild odyssey back to the land of Eternia and its talking tigers, spaceships, gothic castles, and magic swords.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Seeped in history, Messinia is rich with classical temples, Byzantine churches, and craggy medieval castles (a stomp up to the ruins at Pylos is a must, for the breathtaking 360-degree views).—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forts. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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