Synonyms of harbors

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

• ports
• anchorages
• docks
• coves
• bays
• havens
• roads
• lagoons
• marinas
• canals
• estuaries
• harborages
• basins
• channels
• inlets
• embayments
• fjords
• lochs
• narrows
• moorings
• seaports
• creeks
• bights
• straits
• sounds
• roadsteads
• firths
• arms
• gulfs
• moorages
• home ports
• loughs
• containerports

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

• shelters
• refuges
• sanctuaries
• retreats
• havens
• asylums
• residences
• sanctums
• oases
• harborages
• lodgings
• ports
• bolt-holes
• hideouts
• anchorages
• abodes
• rests
• fortresses
• strongholds
• quarters
• dwellings
• houses
• moorings
• sheds
• forts
• places
• housings
• screens
• hideaways
• habitations
• cloisters
• domiciles
• castles
• roofs
• coverts
• covers
• closets
• palisades
• dens
• diggings
• redoubts
• lairs
• hermitages
• windbreaks
• lees
• pads
• lodgments
• lean-tos

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

• has
• holds
• retains
• cherishes
• entertains
• cultivates
• maintains
• keeps
• bears
• carries
• nurses
• fosters
• nurtures
• sustains
• remembers
• preserves
• holds on to
• treasures
• supports
• hangs on to
• hugs
• sticks (to)
• clings (to)
• cleaves (to)
• fixates (on or upon)
• broods (about or over)
• obsesses (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignores
• overlooks
• neglects
• disregards
• forgets
• denies
• drops
• rejects
• refuses
• scorns
• repudiates
• disdains
• declines
• parts (with)
• abandons
• renounces
• discards
• forsakes
• deserts
• abjures
• erases
• gives up
• throws out
• quits
• expunges

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

• houses
• accommodates
• shelters
• lodges
• camps
• chambers
• rooms
• quarters
• bestows
• boards
• roofs
• sheds
• domiciles
• homes
• bunks
• encamps
• takes in
• secures
• stables
• bivouacs
• ensconces
• billets
• barracks
• beds (down)
• puts up
• roosts
• tents

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ejects
• evicts

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

• shelters
• protects
• houses
• defends
• refuges
• secures
• shields
• quarters
• safeguards
• covers
• places
• wards
• shadows
• screens
• shades
• domiciles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exposes

Example Sentences

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

The Moon’s south pole harbors substantial quantities of water ice concentrated on the floors of craters away from the reach of sublimating rays of sunlight. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

In other ways, SETT, which is part of Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation, also harbors a revolution. — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026

However, the group still harbors legal and environmental concerns about sections of the alternative route that run through the Town of Fredonia. — Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Still, Linnetz harbors a curious desire about the experience of helming a big house one day. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

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