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
OpenAI and Google are in a virtual tie, though OpenAI has fewer defensive moats and must innovate quickly to retain its lead.
—
Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Put another way, the castles of these companies' profit engines are protected by moats.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
These applications can create competitive moats and generate measurable ROI.
—Craig Costigan, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Put another way, the castles of these companies' profit engines are protected by moats.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
These applications can create competitive moats and generate measurable ROI.
—Craig Costigan, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moats
Noun
-
In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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During this process, radial ditches in the outer ring that forms the distinct circle shape begins to emerge.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The fabulous funnel design comes in all shapes and sizes from classic wool wrap styles to all-weather trenches and edgy leather bombers.—
Morgan Evans,
InStyle,
31 Dec. 2025
-
To learn why dating in Nashville, in particular, may be so tough, The Tennessean interviewed Music City's Gen Z and Millennial crowds who have spent their time in the dating trenches.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
13 Dec. 2025
-
Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems.—
Staff Author Updated,
PEOPLE,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Extra caution is also advised around ridgelines, gullies, and terrain features, where wind-drifted, stiffer slabs of snow tend to form.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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How could there not be something glittery and white, not trees or rocks or twists and dippings of the ground or clumps of bushes, little gullies where the water runs infrequently.—
David Searcy,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
So where fiber connections may be expensive to make (think rivers and ravines, for instance), or where permitting is very challenging, FSO could provide just the solution.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Dec. 2025
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However, the weeks surrounding them can provide spectacular views of their own, as the line separating night from day, known as the terminator, sweeps across its surface, throwing ancient craters, ravines and mountain ranges into relief.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moats. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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