as in ditches
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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Recent Examples of moats
The labs are building moats out of implementation labor, and the open question is whether buyers end up locked into a single model family, as enterprises were once locked into a single ERP vendor.
—
Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
JPMorgan analysts have made the same case, pointing to long-term contracts and switching costs as structural moats that won’t evaporate overnight.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 May 2026
This control was reflected in the layout of the site, in which workshop areas–identified by furnaces and bronze artifacts—were enclosed by earthen walls and moats, suggesting oversight and protection.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Sticky barriers or water moats can also prevent ants from reaching common destinations, such as plants and counters, according to the University of Minnesota Extension.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Nature protects history and human life Inside the remarkable medieval settlement, archaeologists found moats, remains of buildings, and artifacts, 244 to be exact, including 66 knives, sickles, iron coulters, arrowheads, spearheads, and personal accessories were identified, as per Heritage Daily.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Mar. 2026
Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
JPMorgan analysts have made the same case, pointing to long-term contracts and switching costs as structural moats that won’t evaporate overnight.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 May 2026
This control was reflected in the layout of the site, in which workshop areas–identified by furnaces and bronze artifacts—were enclosed by earthen walls and moats, suggesting oversight and protection.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Sticky barriers or water moats can also prevent ants from reaching common destinations, such as plants and counters, according to the University of Minnesota Extension.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Nature protects history and human life Inside the remarkable medieval settlement, archaeologists found moats, remains of buildings, and artifacts, 244 to be exact, including 66 knives, sickles, iron coulters, arrowheads, spearheads, and personal accessories were identified, as per Heritage Daily.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moats
Noun
-
There is an effort to dilute the high-pH water in ditches that was contaminated with the large amount of chemicals that spilled, officials said.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Similar hard-substrate communities were also observed on rocks in the Aleutian, Kuril‑Kamchatka, Atacama, Puysegur, Atacama, and Mussau trenches.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
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From underwater trenches to sea caves, there are myriad spaces where undiscovered creatures may be lurking.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
24 May 2026
Noun
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Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
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The dikes would consist of walls surrounding the city, separating it from the lagoon, Lionello said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Scott Gordon, chief of water enforcement for EPA’s regional office at the time, toured the site in 2000 and said he was shocked by how the industrial water found its path into the river, sometimes through gullies cut by the flow.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
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Authorities say the mountain sees about a dozen rescues and one fatality per year, with slip-and-falls in steep gullies being a common danger.—
Gregory Thomas,
San Francisco Chronicle,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The face of the moon never looks the same from one night to the next, as the shifting angle between the moon and sun causes sunlight to sweep across its surface, altering the shadows cast by craters, mountain ranges and ravines.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
23 May 2026
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Madeira’s cliffs and ravines are difficult enough that many walking holidays there are guided and focused on one part of the island, including the eight-mile forest hike through Ribeiro Frio.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moats. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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