lair

1
as in hideout
a place where a person goes to hide or to avoid others the detectives tracked the thieves to their lair and arrested them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in nest
the shelter or resting place of a wild animal we found an abandoned fox's lair in the woods behind the barn

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

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 lair When Isaiah invites Cam to come train at his desert compound — which feels like a cross between a Brutalist bunker and a Bond villian’s lair — he’s already been warned by his doctor that another blow to the head could bench him for life. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025 The place, all cavernous rooms filled with Roman statues and pagan imagery, looks like the lair of a ’70s Bond villain. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 While plundering a dungeon lair and stealing artifacts from a museum both have heist elements to them, Skullduggery looks into the other intrigues of adventures in urban environments. Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Another secret drinking lair within the Cosmopolitan, Ghost Donkey offers delicious drinks, pulsating Christmas lights and mirrors that give off infinity room vibes. Tim McGovern, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lair
Noun
  • During the 1880s, the brothers lived here and made their livelihood rustling cattle and horses, while at the same time disposing of unsuspecting ranchers who wandered too close to their hideout.
    Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
  • If this were true, Solomon would learn all of this elder’s secret hideouts and survival tricks, resulting in a formidable pair for any hunter to take on.
    Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The winner heads into another hornet’s nest against the Toronto Blue Jays in an AL Division Series on Saturday.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Since the pork cooks in its own juices, be sure to drain any excess liquid from your meat before adding to your nest of tortilla chips so as not to compromise crunch.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To watch Lipe-Smith’s Caroline cuddle in bed watching TV on her iPad, or bopping around to JoJo Siwa, or pensively finishing a Popsicle while sitting beside her grandmother at a museum, is to have the sheer malevolence of our current administration and its adherents thrown into sharp relief.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Just a few days before, while on a UK state trip, British newspapers reported the President and first lady slept in separate beds at Windsor Castle.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Police and army inspect damage to a house destroyed by debris from a shot down Russian drone in the village of Wyryki-Wola, eastern Poland, on September 10, 2025.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Pretty sure she was crated if she ever was allowed in [the house].
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When officers responded to the building, Jones was on a couch shirtless, with Jack’s pistol under his arm — and the couple’s wallets and credit cards in his pockets, court documents say.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Or sleeping on a couch when everybody has a bed at a family member’s home.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Along the way, visitors may spot signs of the sanctuary’s most visible resident, the beaver, from impressive dams to cleverly constructed dens and lodges, as well as birds such as the snow goose, lapland longspur, and chimney swift.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Further casting additions include Jean-Benoît Ugeux, Pierre Gervais, Ruth Becquart, Viviane De Muynck, Jan Bijvoet and Peter Van den Begin.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The spacious cabin has a combination entertainment-dining area outfitted with two sofas, a full-size kitchen, a private bathroom, and a main bedroom that can fit a king-size mattress (there are additional sleeping areas, including an overhead bunk above the cockpit).
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Once he was handcuffed, deputies placed him on the lower bunk of his cell.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Not camping, sleeping or resting near animal burrows or areas where dead rodents are observed.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
  • While you may be tempted to blame other animals such as opossums or snakes, or even coyotes for making holes or burrows in your yard, these creatures are more likely to use existing animal holes for their dens.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lair. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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