1
as in haunt
a place for spending time or for socializing the restaurant, the preferred purlieu of the theatergoing crowd, is always packed an hour or two before showtime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in vicinity
purlieus plural an adjoining region or space we stopped at one of the several pubs in the purlieus of the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in outskirts
purlieus plural the districts adjacent to a city such gated communities are common among the purlieus of these Midwestern cities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purlieu
Noun
  • One Tree Hill had a few questionable plot lines, but one in particular haunts Chad Michael Murray.
    Ana Calderone, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The translation squeaks and spooks with imagery of haunts and death.
    Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • However, unrest still broke out at the game on Thursday, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The fish are likely protecting against ribbon worms, or Parborlasia corrugata, a type of nemertean, observed living in the vicinity.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Each BioLife location is built to resemble a private resort rather than a clinical setting, reflecting Jones’s belief that environment plays an essential role in healing and consistency.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Green Lake County’s 19,000 residents are predominantly white, churchgoing, and Republican, many of them farming, or working at gas stations and grocery stores, restaurants and lakeside resorts.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Purlieu.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purlieu. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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