1
as in had
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in housed
to provide with living quarters or shelter
the woods in our suburb harbor deer, foxes, raccoons, and skunks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sheltered
to be or provide a shelter for
the little cabin is harbored from the wind by a thick growth of pines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harbored
The companies made deals with whichever military despot was in power in Caracas, angering young intellectuals such as Rómulo Betancourt, who harbored dreams of a democratic Venezuela.
—
The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Investigators previously said Grube had suicidal ideations, harbored anti-police sentiments and was pulled from the truck covered in gasoline.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Then there’s Rusty workplace rival, Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), seems to have harbored a crush on Carolyn.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
But Larry has long harbored more globe-spanning ambitions.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Some evaluators harbored concerns over how Imai’s fastball would fare in the majors.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Jordan Wilmore, 24, of Kemah, Texas, has long harbored a dream to hold the badge, according to CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Until recently, many Americans who harbored racist and other troubling sentiments hid themselves beneath a proverbial rock.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The slough that harbored little bass in 2022 lay a few miles from the dam behind a cobbled sandbar sheltering it from the flow for a few hundred yards.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Investigators previously said Grube had suicidal ideations, harbored anti-police sentiments and was pulled from the truck covered in gasoline.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Then there’s Rusty workplace rival, Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), seems to have harbored a crush on Carolyn.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
But Larry has long harbored more globe-spanning ambitions.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Some evaluators harbored concerns over how Imai’s fastball would fare in the majors.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Jordan Wilmore, 24, of Kemah, Texas, has long harbored a dream to hold the badge, according to CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Until recently, many Americans who harbored racist and other troubling sentiments hid themselves beneath a proverbial rock.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The slough that harbored little bass in 2022 lay a few miles from the dam behind a cobbled sandbar sheltering it from the flow for a few hundred yards.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbored
Verb
-
At some point before the end of the season, before that Bills game, Glenn had initial conversations with veteran coach Wink Martindale about the idea of becoming Glenn’s defensive coordinator.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On the day Alex Pretti was killed, my block had its own candlelit vigil.—
Katherine Packert Burke,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iraq's foreign currency reserves have been housed at the United States' Federal Reserve.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The committee voted to fully fund payments to jails, which have housed some offenders as a backup, and for medical payments.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The neighborhood/area Uptown Sedona sits just above L’Auberge, keeping guests sheltered from traffic and tourists, but construction noise from buildings along 89A can filter down to the rooms.—
Asonta Benetti,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Navajo National Monument, Betatakin Tucked inside a cavernous arch, the ancient village of Betatakin is completely sheltered by the overhanging canyon wall.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This increased the number of cases and product that could be accommodated on each pallet.—
Ken Bowles,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The vehicle accommodated one adult rider, with space for 160 liters of cargo or an optional child seat behind the main seat.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Today, approximately 70% of the property’s total acreage is now permanently protected.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
High vaccination rates create a shield for those who can’t be fully protected during a measles outbreak.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The university subsequently retained the law firm Perkins Coie to conduct an independent investigation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Data is collected deliberately, retained indefinitely, enriched with other datasets and analyzed by increasingly powerful AI systems.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
According to the sheriff's office, Waldrep is lodged at the Macomb County Jail.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And Patterson’s football becomes lodged many feet above the floor.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harbored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbored. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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