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
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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
But the relations have deteriorated significantly since the start of the war in Gaza, with Israeli officials voicing growing anger at Qatar, accusing the government of harboring Hamas and not putting enough pressure on it to agree to a ceasefire.
—
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Since landing in Jezero Crater in 2021, Perseverance has been equipped with a drill to bore into Martian rock and tubes to secure samples from areas considered most favorable for harboring signs of life billions of years ago.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Cats have a one-in-seven chance of harboring the disease, a likelihood that increases to one-in-four for pig and rhesus macaque nuclear families.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
Taylor gives Denise permission to pursue Steven, despite still clearly harboring feelings for her ex.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Given recent events involving the rotation, you could be forgiven for harboring concern even with that lead.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Any accompanying moons, however, could have better chances for harboring oceans—and perhaps even life.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
In the film, Bledel starred as teenager Winnie Foster who meets Jesse Tuck (Jonathan Jackson), a boy who is unlike anyone she’s ever met before but is harboring a major secret.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Turkey has long accused the SDF of harboring ties to the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and has supported operations against the SDF directly and through its Syrian National Army allies.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Since landing in Jezero Crater in 2021, Perseverance has been equipped with a drill to bore into Martian rock and tubes to secure samples from areas considered most favorable for harboring signs of life billions of years ago.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Cats have a one-in-seven chance of harboring the disease, a likelihood that increases to one-in-four for pig and rhesus macaque nuclear families.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
Taylor gives Denise permission to pursue Steven, despite still clearly harboring feelings for her ex.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Given recent events involving the rotation, you could be forgiven for harboring concern even with that lead.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Any accompanying moons, however, could have better chances for harboring oceans—and perhaps even life.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
In the film, Bledel starred as teenager Winnie Foster who meets Jesse Tuck (Jonathan Jackson), a boy who is unlike anyone she’s ever met before but is harboring a major secret.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Turkey has long accused the SDF of harboring ties to the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and has supported operations against the SDF directly and through its Syrian National Army allies.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harboring
Verb
-
Devers, who is starting at first on Saturday, has fared well at first base despite having no experience at the position prior to this season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Despite having a reputation for being at the cutting-edge of technological trends, cash is king in Japan.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To finish off the look, Johnson wore a bombshell-esque updo reminiscent of the Pamela (but accommodating her signature blunt bangs), an uncharacteristic smoky eye, and a nude lip.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Nimbleness — whether accommodating a star who suddenly wants to arrive by helicopter or reacting to shifting incentive policies — remains key.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Off the shores of the island lie rainbow coral reefs, seagrass beds, and undersea ridges sheltering hundreds of species of fish, dugongs, and 15 species of dolphins and whales.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Mushtaha Tower was located in the west of the city, near several large tent encampments where Palestinian civilians are sheltering.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For every person holding the statue, there are four or five who came close and didn’t.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The extra point was good but there was a holding penalty on the Rebels.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The building is the home of Ukraine’s Cabinet, housing the offices of its ministers.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The building, on the northwest side of the city, formerly housing the Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Academy in the Dineen Park neighborhood and has been turned into a shelter by the American Red Cross for dozens of residents who still haven’t found a more permanent home.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While many executives are pausing on big hires or deferring large projects, Dave Anderson, Founder of TSC Security, argues that protecting your company’s digital assets should not be placed on the back burner.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Indiana University is the worst public university in the country for fostering and protecting free speech on campus, according to a national First Amendment organization that ranks universities annually.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Airline fares increased almost 6% from July to August (up from 4% the prior month), while lodging like hotels and motels rose almost 3%, according to the CPI data.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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The 90-day window for lodging a challenge is tight, but veto referendums have been successful in Missouri as recently as 2017, when labor unions successfully organized to defeat a right-to-work law that would have banned compulsory union fees.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harboring. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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