moat

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Specifically, the analyst noted the solid position of the company’s Commercial unit via its rental vehicle toll transponders and the moat in its Government unit through products like speed/red light/school zone cameras. Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025 Simply fill the moat with water to keep unwanted pests from crawling down to the nectar ports. Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025 Companies, especially those in the B2B realm, shouldn’t merely categorize their adoption of AI as a moat—at least, not for long. Dhiraj Bhat, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 Those obsessed with history will want to immerse themselves in the historic district where there’s still a square moat and remnants of ancient walls, as well as over 300 Buddhist temples scattered throughout the entire city. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for moat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moat
Noun
  • If unable to reach a secure shelter, either crouch down in your car, covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The year previous, archaeologists uncovered a large wooden phallus in a ditch at Vindolanda, first thought to be a knitting tool, McClatchy News reported.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The force can carve a trench into the sand below you and create a rip current, a fast-moving channel of water that will haul your unsuspecting ass out to sea.
    Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 12 May 2025
  • True to form, the singer’s Jacquemus look was equally glamorous—the white-and-blue striped gown with a floor-sweeping trench was adorned with Pandora jewels that added just the right glimmer.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • And the Treasury secretary is really the last guy with his finger kind of in the dike.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2025
  • The fifth season, then, premiered in the noxious contrail of the Dobbs decision, which silenced those who believed a 1973 Supreme Court case could serve as a permanent finger in the political dike.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Steering is slow, particularly coming off top dead center, a good trait in an off-roading situation, like crawling over culverts and ditches or crossing a short bridge comprised of two felled trees.
    Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Once that project is completed, INDOT contractor Superior Construction Co Inc. will close the road for a culvert replacement at Frog Creek through early August.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This is the sequel’s real ha-ha-ha punchline.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2024
  • There’s one last ha-ha to be had: Jankie is revived and the cast participates in one last Jankie singalong!
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2025
  • That includes Tom Cruise, as covert CIA division agent Ethan Hunt, riding a motorcycle off a 4,000-foot cliff and BASE jumping the final 500 feet of a ravine, or the breathless climactic train mayhem in 2023’s Dead Reckoning, the opening installment of this two-parter.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Then, ten miles from where Evelyn lived, her wallet was found in a gutter in South San Francisco.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
  • In comparison to Bean's teardrop lineup, the 1,400-lb (635-kg) Bean Pod trades in the fiberglass shell for an aluminum body with overhanging rain gutters delivering leakproof performance.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moat. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on moat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!