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 refuges
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
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 shelters
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
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Hitchcock refers to a dark secret that Perkins harbors.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
But not all super polluters are not all power plants or oil refineries — for example, in Boston as well as Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, domestic shipping in and out of harbors qualifies as a super polluter.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Friesen, who studies the coevolution of plants and rhizobia, writes that just one gram of plant tissue harbors between 10 million and 10 billion endophytic bacteria alone.
—Anna Marija Helt, JSTOR Daily, 17 Sep. 2025
Then think of the pastel-colored houses that cling to rugged cliffs and narrow, winding alleyways—carruggi—that descend steeply to turquoise harbors.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The Sebastian Vizcaino expedition in 1602 was tasked with finding safe harbors in Alta California for Spanish ships returning from the Philippines.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
Much of the San Diego County coastline is maintained with sand taken from lagoons, harbors and rivers.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Because there's virtually no ports natural harbors in West Africa.
—Outside Online, 27 Aug. 2025
Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Hanke harbors more hands-on-the-levers, on-site experience in the field than any other expert by far, having advised countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia on strategies linking their currencies to the dollar.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Brazil harbors roughly half of the world's remaining jaguar population, with many roaming the country's dense Amazon rainforest and surrounding wetlands.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Lincoln plays a middle-aged stay-at-home-dad, whose anxieties bring him in contact with a new neighbor who harbors horrifying secrets.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation notes that one in fifty people harbors an aneurysm, which can produce migraine-like symptoms.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Benicio del Toro’s Sensei oversees a sprawling apartment building that harbors refugees.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
Give me a playoff big enough that Vanderbilt harbors hope of qualifying on the heels of a dream season, but restricted enough that Clemson's chances are appropriately underwater after three losses through four games.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2025
Of course, manual mode sometimes comes in handy while off-roading, but the Quartermaster never harbors hopes of high-speed dune charging.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Regulatory sandboxes and safe harbors can be leveraged where applicable.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Hitchcock refers to a dark secret that Perkins harbors.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
But not all super polluters are not all power plants or oil refineries — for example, in Boston as well as Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, domestic shipping in and out of harbors qualifies as a super polluter.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Friesen, who studies the coevolution of plants and rhizobia, writes that just one gram of plant tissue harbors between 10 million and 10 billion endophytic bacteria alone.
—Anna Marija Helt, JSTOR Daily, 17 Sep. 2025
Then think of the pastel-colored houses that cling to rugged cliffs and narrow, winding alleyways—carruggi—that descend steeply to turquoise harbors.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The Sebastian Vizcaino expedition in 1602 was tasked with finding safe harbors in Alta California for Spanish ships returning from the Philippines.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
Much of the San Diego County coastline is maintained with sand taken from lagoons, harbors and rivers.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Because there's virtually no ports natural harbors in West Africa.
—Outside Online, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Neither side harbors all-encompassing contempt for the other like both do for Minnesota.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Hanke harbors more hands-on-the-levers, on-site experience in the field than any other expert by far, having advised countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia on strategies linking their currencies to the dollar.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Brazil harbors roughly half of the world's remaining jaguar population, with many roaming the country's dense Amazon rainforest and surrounding wetlands.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Lincoln plays a middle-aged stay-at-home-dad, whose anxieties bring him in contact with a new neighbor who harbors horrifying secrets.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation notes that one in fifty people harbors an aneurysm, which can produce migraine-like symptoms.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Benicio del Toro’s Sensei oversees a sprawling apartment building that harbors refugees.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
Give me a playoff big enough that Vanderbilt harbors hope of qualifying on the heels of a dream season, but restricted enough that Clemson's chances are appropriately underwater after three losses through four games.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2025
Of course, manual mode sometimes comes in handy while off-roading, but the Quartermaster never harbors hopes of high-speed dune charging.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbors
Noun
-
The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Sea lines of communication, or SLOCs, are the principal maritime routes between ports used for trade, military or other purposes.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some state parks allow hunting, but national wildlife refuges are closed to hunting unless expressly permitted.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
But others argue that support for transgender people has infringed on the rights of biological women and their safety in spaces such as hospitals, prisons and domestic violence refuges.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Swets, who has expertise with special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), formed Greenland Exploration with his investment and merchant banking firm, FG Nexus, and agreed to merge with March GL and find a suitable SPAC to take the company public.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Navigating the software involves using hand gestures and speech, although the headset also has a button for summoning Google’s Gemini and a touchpad.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Where to stay In the residential Recoleta neighborhood, a 1920s tower, once the tallest in South America, houses 142-room Casa Lucia Meliá Collection.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The company houses other productions, not least an upcoming reimagination of Dick Van Dyke family classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is in the works with Amazon MGM Studios.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Remove firewood, bricks, boards, tarps, or vegetation up against the house, which shelters insects that provide food for spiders, says Gray.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At 8,614 feet, the Mackinac Bridge is still the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Several small craft broken away from moorings, especially in unprotected anchorages.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And while some, including PETA, have called for the remaining marine animals to be relocated to seaside sanctuaries, there is a notable lack of such sanctuaries.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
-
And despite headlines about shootings inside sanctuaries, 71% of homicides occurred outside – in parking lots, courtyards or on steps – when people were gathering or leaving.—
James Densley,
The Conversation,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Council Member Ward 4 Kelly Sullivan Angles Kelly Sullivan Angles works as a legal advisor to businesses and holds a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, according to her LinkedIn.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Hindu belief holds that Lakshmi cannot enter a dark space, according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harbors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbors. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share