harbors 1 of 2

noun

plural of harbor
1
as in ports
a part of a body of water protected and deep enough to be a place of safety for ships the tanker stayed in Boston harbor three days to undergo repairs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in shelters
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger seeking a harbor from the drenching rain, we unfortunately chose a bank where a robbery was taking place

Synonyms & Similar Words

harbors

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of harbor
1
as in has
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in houses
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 protects
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

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 harbors
Noun
The governor’s office said the state was securing its harbors, deploying emergency personnel to strategic locations and monitoring dams for any possible breaches or overflows. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026 This trade network linked Bergen, Riga, and other Baltic and North Sea harbors, connecting them not just economically but also culturally. — Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2026 Jetties are long barriers often constructed of boulders or concrete at inlets or harbors to keep navigation channels open, while groins are shorter and often are built on open beaches to stop erosion and widen the sand area. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Yet despite sitting on one of the world’s largest natural harbors, Falmouth remains a relatively small player in the British cruise industry. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 After identifying the genomic safe harbors, the researchers applied short bursts of electricity to those eggs. — Jay Kakade august 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026 Some harbors are too shallow for large vessels; in other ports there are protected reefs or other environmental restrictions; and some lack a pier large enough to accommodate the ship. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Meet the chicken kidney sponge, a true ecosystem engineer that could use its filter-feeding power to clean the degraded habitats in and around busy harbors. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 Its ships have hundreds of rooms and suites—not thousands—and slip into harbors that megaships cannot reach, keeping shore days intimate enough that the market vendor, the guide, and the lunch that follows feel like part of the same long afternoon. — Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Verb
His desire for purpose in life is deeply informed by a notion that the nation still harbors opportunities for freedom. — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 The compound harbors multiple restaurants, a full-scale spa, and a lush central courtyard garden. — Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Anne harbors an inner world that, while upsetting for Martha to witness, is nonetheless rich. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 Naftali Bennett, Eisenkot’s likely coalition partner, who also harbors hopes of becoming prime minister, has advocated that Israel pursue total victory in Gaza. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 Runway’s approach currently harbors an advantage for dynamic simulation, though. — ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026 The summit harbors the prospect of unexpected personal brushups, a rare setting where 32 heads of state convene in the same place. — Chris Boccia, ABC News, 7 July 2026 Long considered one of the finest examples of colonial architecture to be found in Connecticut, the Ebenezer Grant House harbors a pleasant surprise. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026 The Temple Mount movement — a loose coalition of Israeli religious and nationalist organizations — harbors a potentially explosive mix of prophecy and politics that aims to upend some 1,300 years of Muslim control over the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest one for Jews. — Gabe Joselow, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbors
  1. ports
  2. shelters
  3. has
  4. houses
  5. protects
  6. anchorages
  7. refuges
  8. holds
Noun
  • Art Marroquin, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach, said the two ports are still engaged in a competitive selection process for a short line rail operator and declined further comment.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Russian strikes continued elsewhere in Ukraine overnight Friday into Saturday, including missile attacks on Black Sea ports and and a factory in the central region of Dnipropetrovsk.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ports
Noun
  • Evacuees can receive assistance from the Long Beach Health Department, and city buses will help residents connect to immediate shelters.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Pounding his fists on the table, the mayor accused the government of not providing residents with enough bomb shelters almost three years into a multifront war.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of shelters
Verb
  • Those are notable numbers for Turek in a state dominated by the GOP for the past decade; Turek has an edge among independent voters and a positive favorability rating compared to Hinson, who is viewed more negatively.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The tiebreaker for lottery odds has nothing to do with head-to-head or anything that happened on the field this season.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • The arrest also comes just after the restaurant announced its intent to restart business inside the building that houses Maggie’s Pub in Whittier.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The building that houses the Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency department opened in 2022.
    — Brittany Trang, STAT, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of houses
Verb
  • William tells me Saint Michael is the angel that protects soldiers, police officers, and firefighters.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • That approach protects young people and preserves access for adults who have already made the choice to move away from cigarettes.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of protects
Noun
  • The length of the suspension bridge is 8,614 feet, including anchorages, according to the bridge authority.
    — Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • More than 139 container vessels resided in the port’s outer anchorages as of Thursday morning, Seko said.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of anchorages
Noun
  • Travelers can spend a few weeks following the entire route or easily choose a section to experience the historic river towns, scenic overlooks, wildlife refuges, and communities built along the mighty Mississippi.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Such spaces create temporary refuges from the digital stream, and allow habits of slowness, concentration, and absorption to become socially reinforced.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuges
Verb
  • However, pre-clinical research (not in humans) suggests the peptide holds promise beyond skin health.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The former president, who no longer holds any formal position in government or in Cuba’s Communist Party, rarely appears in public.
    — Andrea Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of holds

Browse Nearby Words

harboring
harbors
hard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harbors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbors. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All