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
But somebody brought up this idea of moats.
—
Alex Crippen, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Install an Ant Moat Ant moats are little basins that hold water that are hung below hummingbird feeders.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 4 June 2026
In Latin America stadiums have been constructed with anti-hooligan architecture such as high fencing and moats.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
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
Alex Crippen, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Install an Ant Moat Ant moats are little basins that hold water that are hung below hummingbird feeders.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 4 June 2026
In Latin America stadiums have been constructed with anti-hooligan architecture such as high fencing and moats.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moats
Noun
-
Police and fire rescue experts say this is also serves a reminder to always wear personal flotation devices in and around rivers, creeks, ditches and lakes.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
They're mostly found in the swamps, sloughs, wetlands, and drainage ditches of the western coastal plain, and are occasionally found around rivers and lakes.—
Jack Armstrong,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
3 June 2026
Noun
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That's where the Pacific Plate beneath Japan forms the two trenches — the Japan Trench and Chishima Trench — that have caused many large quakes in the past.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Dec. 2025
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Many parents shared stories from days of being deep in the newborn trenches and how family members stepped up to help them.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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While the new dikes are funded by the federal government, the extensive reforestation efforts are privately covered by a non-governmental organization.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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Stable isotopic signatures of oxygen and hydrogen observed in the country rocks next to dike segments can provide independent evidence for hydrothermal fluid flow, altering the chemical composition of the rocks or delaying the cooling of the dikes and country rocks.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
This atmosphere would have enabled liquids to flow on its surface, creating the channels and gullies that scientists can still observe today.—
Christopher Carr,
The Conversation,
13 Nov. 2025
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Wind is hurrying the sand along the gullies of the road.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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At the time, authorities said the 71-year-old retail tycoon had fallen from a height near the Salnitre caves in Collbató, a wild natural area known for steep cliffs and ravines.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
19 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 17 Jun. 2026.
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