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 two competitive moats that software CEOs relied on for decades—the inability to throw money at a problem to catch up, and customer lock-in through switching costs—are both gone, Horowitz argued.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 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
Install an Ant Moat Ant moats are little basins that hold water that are hung above hummingbird feeders.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Funding costs, liquidity stability, capital treatment, and regulatory accountability are moats.
—Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Klein added European businesses could use AI to build wider moats, urging business leaders to take risks and the European Union to deregulate to unlock greater capital and talent.
—Tasmin Lockwood,hugh Leask, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
Put another way, the castles of these companies' profit engines are protected by moats.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 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
Install an Ant Moat Ant moats are little basins that hold water that are hung above hummingbird feeders.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Funding costs, liquidity stability, capital treatment, and regulatory accountability are moats.
—Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Klein added European businesses could use AI to build wider moats, urging business leaders to take risks and the European Union to deregulate to unlock greater capital and talent.
—Tasmin Lockwood,hugh Leask, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
Put another way, the castles of these companies' profit engines are protected by moats.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moats
Noun
-
Lupines flourish in ditches and on highway embankments—especially north of Duluth along Highway 61, the Minnesota scenic byway that traces Lake Superior's north shore.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
20 Apr. 2026
-
During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Aquariums are positioned above these trenches such that flow through sea water and aquarium tank rinse water can be discharged directly to the collection system.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Hutton’s elegant-yet-tomboyish character spends the film in silks and trenches, with an iconic burgundy Bottega tucked beneath her arm.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The dikes would consist of walls surrounding the city, separating it from the lagoon, Lionello said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Her mother, Marlene LaMar, who had helped organize hundreds of volunteers for years to search through fields and gullies after Sierra vanished in 2012, said Saturday she was too devastated to speak about the ruling.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The reserve features high, broken cliffs and deep ravines on headlands overlooking the ocean.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
She was found hours later, barely alive and with a fractured skull, having been brutally raped and left for dead in one of the park’s ravines.—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moats. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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