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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 Companies that invest in those enduring advantages will find that their moat remains deeper than many newcomers expect. — Srinivas Velamoor, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Its towering, mostly unbroken face and narrow swimming pool suggested a rampart and a moat, but behind the concrete exterior, Caland eliminated every door save the guest bathroom. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 An unshakable moat The industrial gas ecosystem is driven by broad secular trends, including the reshoring of manufacturing, advanced semiconductor nodes and carbon capture infrastructure. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Regulation written with significant input from OpenAI and Anthropic, Luria argued, could therefore turn safety rules into a moat around the companies already at the frontier. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 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
  • Hundreds of British troops crisscrossed fields with thousands of metres of razor wire and dug a long ditch that was later partially filled with water to act as a moat to keep the Protestant marchers away from the Catholic enclave.
    — Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Much of the stone used to construct Hadrian’s Wall and its forts and milecastles was recycled over the centuries, but the stone footings largely remain, as do the flanking ditches.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ditch
Noun
  • But with campaigns romanticizing the British countryside and a new mini exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum honoring one of its greatest hallmarks, the trusty trench, Burberry is fully owning its history.
    — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The shape appears on leather bombers, trench hybrids and wool coats.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of trench
Noun
  • Chinese Nationalist forces breached the river’s dikes near Huayuankou to slow advancing Japanese troops.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of dike
Noun
  • Charles Rilli, representing the Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter, and Myriam Mendoza, representing the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, also voiced support for the Saturn Boulevard box culvert project.
    — Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of culvert
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Roy and Keeley have a very cute episode as a series of funny (well, not funny-ha-ha) things happen on the way to the Chelsea Legends induction ceremony for the former football star.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of ha-ha
Noun
  • The National Park and World Biosphere Reserve affords nearly 10 miles to hike amid towering ravine walls, flowing streams, and dense forests.
    — Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • Having never cleaned my rain gutters since becoming a homeowner five years ago, I was stunned to learn that this annoying task should be completed once, if not twice, a year.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Haddad says that anything from gutters to flashing or even a nearby air conditioner can cause rust on vinyl siding.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of gutter

Browse Nearby Words

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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 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on moat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moat

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