1
as in having
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accommodating
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 sheltering
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 harboring
By harboring terrorists and letting its facilities serve as Hamas headquarters, UNRWA has become an arm of Hamas.
—
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Pakistan is also embroiled in a conflict with neighboring Afghanistan, accusing Kabul of harboring Pakistani militants who are fighting against the government in Islamabad — a charge Kabul denies.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, including the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
—CBS News, 10 June 2026
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the two investment banks harboring the biggest market shares by far in tech IPOs, are now battling to lead looming debuts that promise the winners a pair of the richest profit pots in Wall Street history.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 June 2026
Wood cutting boards are notorious for harboring bacteria within their organic surface.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
The 32-year-old grew up in Boise, Idaho, playing football on his high school team but harboring dreams to perform.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Jaime Dunaway-Seale, the report author, said college students may be harboring unrealistic hopes about starting pay in an era of steadily rising costs for housing, consumer goods and most everything else.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 29 May 2026
O’Ward will go into his seventh Indy 500 on Sunday not only harboring his own hopes of success, but also as part of McLaren’s bid to replicate its recent Formula 1 success.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Pakistan is also embroiled in a conflict with neighboring Afghanistan, accusing Kabul of harboring Pakistani militants who are fighting against the government in Islamabad — a charge Kabul denies.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, including the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
—CBS News, 10 June 2026
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the two investment banks harboring the biggest market shares by far in tech IPOs, are now battling to lead looming debuts that promise the winners a pair of the richest profit pots in Wall Street history.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 June 2026
Wood cutting boards are notorious for harboring bacteria within their organic surface.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
The 32-year-old grew up in Boise, Idaho, playing football on his high school team but harboring dreams to perform.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Jaime Dunaway-Seale, the report author, said college students may be harboring unrealistic hopes about starting pay in an era of steadily rising costs for housing, consumer goods and most everything else.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 29 May 2026
O’Ward will go into his seventh Indy 500 on Sunday not only harboring his own hopes of success, but also as part of McLaren’s bid to replicate its recent Formula 1 success.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harboring
Verb
-
Before Mexico-South Africa kicks off here in a few minutes, FIFA is marching in all 48 flags for the countries participating in the tournament and having the flag-bearers stand in a circle at midfield.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The genre by definition requires re-enactments, and does the act of gathering a bunch actors and going to Tehran (or Morocco) give more credibility to the project than having a computer do it?—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The aircraft appears similar in size to the Leonardo AW609, with a pressurized cabin likely accommodating around 12 passengers.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Over the years Mercedes-Benz has retooled the SL adding things like heated arm rests and all wheel drive to ensure the SL is capable and accommodating on all roads in all seasons.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Harris’s maternal grandmother was an activist in India, sheltering women from abuse and leading education initiatives for them about contraceptives.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
Prune Overgrown Plants Long overgrown plants, shrubs, and trees also offer sheltering spots for ticks and keep yards damp and shady, which is just the sort of habitat ticks love.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The Cameroon international is worth holding one more week, for Bournemouth at home, having got on the scoresheet last time out.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Researchers had believed that the material holding the thorium needed to be transparent so laser light could pass through and excite its nucleus.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan, who is leading the operation, told Reuters two people had been pulled out alive from the commercial building, housing a grocery store and other businesses, but a third was found dead.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
After housing federal agencies for more than a century, the structure eventually sat vacant before Kimpton turned it into a hotel in 2002.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Hong, of Michigan State, said the new findings are an important reminder to keep pulse pressure in check as a means of protecting brain and heart health in the long term.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
-
Kids today are passionate about protecting the planet, and their eco-conscious habits can inspire families to make more sustainable choices.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The hoteliers also groused that New Jersey and Philadelphia had proposed raising sales or lodging taxes in order to squeeze visitors.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
-
Last July and August, lodging sales in Buncombe County declined by more than 20% compared to the same months in 2024, illustrating a slowdown in tourism numbers since the hurricane.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Verb
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That night, the holiday weekend ahead of them, some 750 girls were bunking at Camp Mystic, an almost century-old all-girls summer camp along the banks of Texas’ Guadalupe River.—
Michelle Krupa,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harboring. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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