Synonyms of harbor

harbor 1 of 2

noun

ˈhär-bər 

1

as in port

a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships

the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• port
• anchorage
• dock
• bay
• cove
• haven
• marina
• lagoon
• roads
• harborage
• estuary
• basin
• channel
• canal
• inlet
• narrow
• roadstead
• mooring
• fjord
• seaport
• embayment
• sound
• moorage
• loch
• bight
• creek
• gulf
• strait
• arm
• home port
• firth
• lough
• containerport

2

as in refuge

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger

seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place

Synonyms & Similar Words

• refuge
• shelter
• sanctuary
• retreat
• haven
• residence
• asylum
• harborage
• oasis
• sanctum
• port
• lodging
• anchorage
• abode
• bolt-hole
• dwelling
• mooring
• hideout
• housing
• fortress
• house
• rest
• quarters
• stronghold
• fort
• castle
• roof
• screen
• place
• cloister
• habitation
• domicile
• shed
• den
• closet
• lee
• cover
• diggings
• lair
• hideaway
• palisade
• lodgment
• pad
• redoubt
• covert
• windbreak
• hermitage
• fastness
• lean-to

harbor

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to have

to keep in one's mind or heart

he had long harbored a grudge against his old employer, who had high-handedly fired him without cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

• have
• hold
• retain
• cherish
• entertain
• cultivate
• bear
• keep
• carry
• hold on to
• maintain
• nurse
• hang on to
• treasure
• foster
• sustain
• preserve
• remember
• nurture
• support
• stick (to)
• hug
• cling (to)
• cleave (to)
• fixate (on or upon)
• brood (about or over)
• obsess (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• overlook
• disregard
• drop
• deny
• refuse
• neglect
• reject
• decline
• scorn
• repudiate
• abandon
• give up
• renounce
• discard
• quit
• desert
• forsake
• part (with)
• disdain
• abjure
• erase
• throw out
• expunge

2

as in to house

to provide with living quarters or shelter

the woods in our suburb harbor deer, foxes, raccoons, and skunks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• house
• room
• accommodate
• shelter
• camp
• lodge
• roof
• board
• chamber
• bunk
• quarter
• bestow
• home
• encamp
• take in
• domicile
• stable
• shed
• bivouac
• put up
• billet
• secure
• tent
• roost
• bed (down)
• ensconce
• barrack

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eject
• evict

3

as in to shelter

to be or provide a shelter for

the little cabin is harbored from the wind by a thick growth of pines

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shelter
• protect
• refuge
• house
• defend
• secure
• safeguard
• ward
• shield
• quarter
• place
• cover
• screen
• shade
• domicile
• shadow

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expose

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of harbor

Noun

Anyone with spare time could surveil a harbor or the airspace above a military base and sell updates on flights, ships, and the movements of troops. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

In 2020, Russia put the world’s first floating nuclear power station on a barge into service, powering the remote Arctic town of Pevek—population 4,000—and its harbor. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

Coinciding with monthly high tides, the surf will create the potential for impacts to harbor entrances and channels, as well as coastal properties and roads. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Whatever doubts McCartney still harbored disappeared when the four musicians began to play along with the tape of his acoustic solo performance. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026