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 The moat In June, Higgs responded to his neighbors’ ongoing frustration by digging a moat to divert rain water. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 To discourage ants from returning, inspect new plants, use a sticky barrier, or create a moat. — Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026 JPMorgan initiates Moog as overweight JPMorgan said the aerospace company has a wide moat. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 20 July 2026 The result was a complex of squat, one- or two-level buildings with metal and glass siding, surrounded by a moat of parking spaces, with Google signs plunked into the dirt out front. — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 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
  • The city later determined that roughly 300 gallons of ferric chloride, diluted with reuse water, had flowed into a drainage ditch, the report said.
    — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
  • The last-ditch appeal to his humanity worked; Henderson allegedly stopped, got dressed and left, according to court records.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of ditch
Noun
  • But its owner, Hiro Yonekawa, packs way more into its two rooms, which are full of mostly vintage clothes like mint Burberry trenches (for around $300), graphic tees, men’s dress shirts and women’s tops, hats and handbags.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Samsung credits a dual-layer structure called Flex Titanium for flattening the display and turning what was once a glaring trench into a subtle seam.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 29 July 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
  • Marlborough has planned a $508,780 project for the South Road culvert replacement.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • The Accord apparently left the road and struck a culvert, with the driver suffering non-life-threatening injuries and another passenger uninjured.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 July 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
  • The bus, which was carrying passengers from Sétif to the Algerian capital, skidded in the locality of El Karma, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Algiers, before plunging into a deep ravine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Both vehicles went into a nearby ravine and the tree line, a police report said.
    — Emily Harter, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • Artificial snow is piled up in their gutters, smoke seems to billow from the chimneys on the roofs and the windows of the cottages are filled with moving models of colorful creatures from the films.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • According to the ordinance, the remaining work includes paving unpaved roads, installing curbs and gutters, sidewalks, ADA ramps, retaining walls, roadway markings and signs, and removing trees where needed.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of gutter

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moats
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Cite this Entry

“Moat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moat. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on moat

Nglish: Translation of moat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moat

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