piers

Definition of piersnext
plural of pier
1
as in docks
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers tied the boat up at the pier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in pilasters
an upright shaft that supports an overhead structure a bridge pier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 piers What thrilled Peter about the piers was the feeling of someone’s eyes on the back of the head, that unwashed smell. Andrew Durbin, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 But in 1982-83, when another super El Niño occurred, storms destroyed multiple piers and ripped away a 400-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Strong longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers into rip currents, piers, jetties and other hazardous areas. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026 Other piers in Pacifica and Avila Beach have been left closed or partially closed by storm damage in recent years. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 There are multiple fire pits for cozy winter nights, and fieldstone piers support a dining pergola. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2026 In 1903, a vicious winter storm reduced most of the piers to splinters, and by 1906 offshore oil production at Summerland had all but ceased. Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 During the construction phase, the group avoided the use of heavy machinery to keep most of the jungle intact and used ironwood reclaimed from boat piers and fishing boat decks as the main construction material. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026 After a ship crash in 1980 that killed 35 people, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was replaced, and the ends of the old bridge were repurposed as the two Tampa Bay fishing piers. Carter Weinhofer, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piers
Noun
  • Along Beach Street in the Bayview Beach subdivision, where homes line a narrow channel off the river, docks and boats have been flooded over.
    Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Guests can fish or crab off the hotel's docks or have a picnic on the lawn.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In the end, Laffrey, whose Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, settled for using an iPhone app to record the size of pilasters and mullioned mirrors.
    Carey Purcell, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025
  • With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.
    Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The two pillars of private markets have become deeply intertwined over the past decade, with direct lenders stepping in as a key financing engine for buyouts after banks retreated following the global financial crisis, according to industry veterans.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Along with North, last year’s inaugural class included Kansas City arts pillars such as visual artist Harold Smith, drum and dance instructor Danny Hinds and singer Darcus Speed Gates, reflecting the range of disciplines the awards aim to recognize.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Wine is embedded in the city’s architecture, history and daily life, from grand 18th-century façades to the bustling quays of the Garonne.
    Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Twelve students, including Brendan LaFave, the high-achieving kid from Ann Arbor, live in the three-story brown-brick house, which has white columns along its wide front porch.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
    Scott Turner, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piers. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

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