moat

noun

Definition of moatnext
as in ditch
a deep, wide excavation that is usually filled with water and that goes around the walls of a place (such as a castle) to protect it from being attacked

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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 moat Who survives Over 50 years ago, Charlie Munger convinced his best friend, Warren Buffett, to ditch the proverbial cheap cigar butts for buying durable, high-quality businesses, centered around their economic moat. — Sanjot Malhi, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 Traditional business moats are eroding, exemplified by Chegg's collapse, as the market prices certainty into an inherently uncertain technology, causing unprecedented volatility and layoffs. — Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Ant moats are the most effective way of keeping ants out of the feeder if the ants don’t have an alternate route. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026 Stone walls extend beyond the house into the gardens, while a dry stone moat runs along the front with a bridge leading to the entrance. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moat
  1. ditch
  2. trench
  3. dike
  4. culvert
  5. ha-ha
  6. ravine
  7. gutter
Noun
  • Northrop Grumman’s Raid Hunter aims to fill the last-ditch point-defense gap.
    — David Szondy August 19, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Kellogg says that drafting a basic essay is as mentally taxing as digging a ditch is physically exhausting.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of ditch
Noun
  • Tasks included scooping and dumping sand or gravel, digging and grading trenches, clearing debris from roads, removing tree branches from water edges, and breaking up rocks.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That made General Manager Adam Peters comfortable going the entire offseason without making a significant addition to the offensive trenches.
    — Tashan Reed, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of trench
Noun
  • Like many inland dikes, the barrier in agricultural fields near the small town of Waddinxveen, east of The Hague, is made of peat that needs to be damp to be strong enough to hold back water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The company says the W-01 responds to risks from tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, marine submersion and dike or dam failures.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of dike
Noun
  • Ducking into Maryam Lashkari, Hodjat Salimi and Oscar Tuazon’s interactive sculpture — an enormous cardboard tube lying on its side — feels like entering a culvert or a bomb shelter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In particular, Gastevich said the flooding problems have been created because of a blockage of the nearby Kemper Ditch and a culvert.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of culvert
Noun
  • Brazilian fandom is a funny thing, both in its complexity — Brazil, as one of its great cultural figures once said, is not for beginners — and in the ha-ha sense.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Workers repairing a ha-ha, a ditch traditionally used to contain livestock without interrupting the view across an estate, uncovered a tunnel entrance, along with Tudor-era artifacts including pottery, bones, and glass bottles.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of ha-ha
Noun
  • Santa Cruz Police Department The driver and another occupant ran away into a nearby ravine where a K-9 officer was used to apprehend the driver.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The driver ran from the disabled SUV into a nearby ravine but was arrested after officers sent a police dog to capture him, police said.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • Cornerstone Building Brands The Kearney plant, located near W Washington and W Major streets, manufactures a variety of building materials for residential and commercial uses, such as siding, windows, doors, stone veneer, fences and gutters.
    — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Trees would need trimming, gutters would need cleaning, dead or dying plants would have to be removed.
    — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of gutter

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Cite this Entry

“Moat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moat. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moat

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