harbored

verb

past tense of harbor
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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 harbored Nor will viewers be surprised by the secret harbored by ring-girl Kim (Tahirah Sharif), whose interest in Duke is both predictably motivated and generally chemistry-free. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Having grown up with the Larrabees’ children, Sabrina has always harbored feelings for David (Greg Kinnear), though he’s never reciprocated. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026 Officials said the suspects harbored fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the government. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 The new findings showed that symptom-free older adults who harbored very high levels of p-tau217 had a 38% risk of developing cognitive impairment over five years. — ABC News, 15 July 2026 Officials have said the group members harbored fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the government. — Julie Carr Smyth, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 Nandini Jammi, a fellow marketer, harbored the same concerns about digital marketing technologies. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 But some in the auto industry have harbored fears about potential job losses if drivers in the United States switch en masse to EVs. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 17 June 2026 Over the course of the season, Chantal grows frustrated with her needy fiancé and begins falling for Jordie, who has harbored feelings for Delilah for years, but seemingly moves on and reciprocates Chantal’s affections. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbored
  1. had
  2. housed
  3. sheltered
  4. held
  5. accommodated
  6. protected
  7. retained
  8. lodged
Verb
  • Adames, who had an MRI on Monday, will miss more than 10 days, though manager Tony Vitello said the team is optimistic the veteran can return before the season ends in late September.
    — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Iranian news agency Rokna reported that people in Tehran said some petrol stations had no gas available, forcing them to temporarily close, while other stations had long lines on Monday and Tuesday.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of had
Verb
  • The official Walter Cup, presented when the Victoire beat the Ottawa Charge in four games to win the PWHL championship in May, is housed in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Among the 3,000 buildings the first licensed Black architect designed, from private residences to hotels, some of his most appealing—including one that formerly housed actor Denzel Washington’s family—can be found in Toluca Lake.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of housed
Verb
  • The space station has had a leak on the Russian side for several years, and astronauts recently and briefly sheltered in a Crew Dragon during discussions of a fix.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • More than 38,000 people, including over 2,000 children, sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations overnight, the system’s operator said.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sheltered
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
  • 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
Definition of held
Verb
  • Affected passengers were being accommodated on later flights.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • When the Berkeley Lab opened its supercomputing center inside the building, the site accommodated an IBM device that at the time was the world’s most powerful unclassified supercomputer.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of accommodated
Verb
  • In filings with the New York bankruptcy court overseeing the case, both Spirit’s representatives and the interested bidders say privacy and personal identity will be protected.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • From the sprawling stone forts of early American history in the north, to the mangroves of the Everglades and protected reefs of Biscayne to the south, our state is a masterpiece of biodiversity and coastal wonder.
    — Lulu Vilas, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of protected
Verb
  • George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich in their own corruption cases, and former Department of Justice criminal chief Brent Wible have also been retained.
    — Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Special touches added by Gail have been retained, including an eccentric serpent mosaic based on a design by Frank Zappa himself.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of retained
Verb
  • The decision also dismissed all claims against Morris’ wife, Deborah, and all but one claim lodged against Robert Morris personally.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Castro, 52, is accused of firing a gun through the front door of a Minneapolis home, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg with a bullet that lodged in a child’s bedroom wall.
    — MARK VANCLEAVE, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of lodged

Browse Nearby Words

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harbored
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Cite this Entry

“Harbored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbored. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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