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

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

The currents and rough surf will be strongest at south- to southwest-facing beaches and harbors, according to the forecast. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

But Butch Cassidy Drive in Telluride is where one particular property sits today that, against all things predictable, harbors in its TV snug that very same historic pool-hall bar. — Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 17 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

Yachts swarm the harbors of everywhere from Monaco to Mallorca—and cruise ships are a close second. — Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026

Each has its own distinct character—from postcard-perfect villages and bustling harbors to windswept dunes, freshwater ponds, and some of New England’s most spectacular beaches. — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 27 June 2026

And of course, the park has the requisite harbors, beaches, basketball, pickleball/tennis courts, ball fields and an 18-hole golf course/driving range. — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Other major efforts stretch along rivers and harbors in places throughout the Great Lakes. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 June 2026

Verb

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

Like any village worth its weight in cobblestones, quirky characters, and quaint pubs, Three Pines’ titular Quebec town harbors its share of dark secrets. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026