HARBOR Synonyms: 163 Similar and Opposite Words

harbor 1 of 2

noun

ˈhär-bər

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

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Relevance

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

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harbor

2 of 2

verb

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to house

to provide with living quarters or shelter the woods in our suburb harbor deer, foxes, raccoons, and skunks

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

eject
evict

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expose

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 harbor

Noun

The story is said to be set in a remote harbor village near Korea’s Demilitarized Zone. —

Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026 Cargo that would have moved through Dubai’s Jebel Ali — the Middle East’s most connected container port, which is now largely cut off from global freighters — is now entering through smaller harbors in Fujairah and Oman, then moving overland. —

Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Verb

The first third of director Ben Wheatley’s gory black comedy introduces us to Ulysses and takes us on his journey through a small town that harbors a link to Japan. —

Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026 Lori will turn out to harbor some personal reasons for loathing Julian, but there are plenty of general reasons to resent him too. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harbor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbor

Noun

The project is still in its early stages, so most of the action is with the Humboldt Bay Harbor District, which must transform its historic logging port before any work begins out on the ocean.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The shipman embarked on Sunday for an over 48-hour journey that would take him from the Iraqi port where his vessel was anchored to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, before finally meeting his wife and parents in his hometown of Mumbai.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026