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
Later this year, two spacecraft are scheduled for launch on missions to land somewhere near the rim of Shackleton Crater, an impact basin near the Moon’s south pole harboring an immense reservoir of water ice.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2026
Whoever was harboring the converters after the thefts got a huge get.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Using the text as a base, this piece tells the story of an unlikely bond — a ship’s Captain harboring a stowaway accused of murder —through a mix of words, dance, music, sound, and art installation.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Islamabad was isolated by Washington following its role harboring Osama bin Laden, but Pakistan is now out of the wilderness.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The strait is a significant trade artery for oil, harboring roughly 20 percent of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The war began after several rounds of airstrikes and cross-border skirmishes, stemming from Pakistani claims that the Afghan government was harboring terrorists who used the country as a base to launch attacks against Pakistan.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, which Islamabad says carries out attacks inside Pakistan; Kabul denies the allegation.
—Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2026
Whoever was harboring the converters after the thefts got a huge get.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Using the text as a base, this piece tells the story of an unlikely bond — a ship’s Captain harboring a stowaway accused of murder —through a mix of words, dance, music, sound, and art installation.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Islamabad was isolated by Washington following its role harboring Osama bin Laden, but Pakistan is now out of the wilderness.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The strait is a significant trade artery for oil, harboring roughly 20 percent of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The war began after several rounds of airstrikes and cross-border skirmishes, stemming from Pakistani claims that the Afghan government was harboring terrorists who used the country as a base to launch attacks against Pakistan.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, which Islamabad says carries out attacks inside Pakistan; Kabul denies the allegation.
—Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harboring
Verb
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The other soldier is accused of having contact with a foreign agent, transmitting information to the enemy and other offenses, according to the indictment.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
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John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan know that having two solid contributors on cheap deals is vastly superior to having one overpriced guy who is statistically no better than the field.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The robots then pick up the ball and copy the instructor's behavior, adjusting for their own position and accommodating their non-human bodies.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
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The remaining two residences are larger, each with a fourth bedroom and accommodating up to 11 adults.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For those developers, focusing on work amid the continuing Russian invasion has often meant relying on electricity from generators or batteries and sheltering from drone attacks in the middle of the workday.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
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Israel’s airstrikes have killed and wounded civilians in their homes, at work and even while sheltering at makeshift displacement camps.—
Nada Bashir,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Former Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer entered the Bell Centre from that plaza holding a torch, walked it into the building and the arena bowl, setting off the Canadiens’ traditional playoff ritual of the ice catching fire, and the building roared.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Over the past decade, the Avenue has grown from a handful of galleries into one of the central nodes of Dubai’s cultural infrastructure, now housing around 90 creative businesses across repurposed industrial spaces.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Six months into Gaza’s ceasefire, humanitarian conditions remain dire, with aid deliveries plummeting 80% since the Iran war began and vast tent camps still housing most residents.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Effective vole control includes keeping grass mowed, minimizing mulch, using traps, and protecting young trees with hardware cloth tubes.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
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Watermelon has a host of health benefits including protecting one's joints from inflammation, improving digestive conditions and being more rich in lycopene than any other fruit.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those vessels were apparently Indian, with New Delhi lodging a complaint with Tehran.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Vietnam, with lodging for as little as $15 a night and inexpensive local cuisine.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For years, state regulators had asked the Sheriff’s Office to stop triple-bunking people, a practice the department acknowledged was dangerous.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harboring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harboring. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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