Thesaurus results for SANCTUARIES

sanctuaries

noun

plural of sanctuary

as in shrines

a place that is considered sacred (as within a religion) by law, anyone who sought refuge in a religious sanctuary was safe from arrest by the civil authorities

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as in refuges

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger the marshland has been set aside as a sanctuary for shorebirds along that section of the coast

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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 sanctuaries About 500 condors now call breeding centers and the skies over wildland sanctuaries home. —

Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 5 Mar. 2026 Those myths were conveyed through performance, sung in the great halls of the elite, recited at festivals all across the ancient world, staged at the theatre to large audiences, and displayed on wall paintings, mosaics, vases, and sculptures that adorned both sacred sanctuaries and city-states. —

Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026 The company will also be hosting a series of fireside conversations with women thought leaders at Alo’s Fashion Island, Miami Design District and Regent Street sanctuaries locations. —

Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026 The purpose of school libraries School libraries have long served as sanctuaries and supportive spaces for vulnerable students. —

Abigail Leigh Phillips, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026 Most visitors spend a full day or even two days exploring the trail, allowing time to stop at scenic overlooks, embark on wildlife drives, and visit the many beaches and sanctuaries. —

Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026 Alberto Carvalho, an immigrant himself, has pledged to do all in the district’s power to maintain schools as sanctuaries for children of immigrant families — and activists patrol outside schools to help ensure safe passage to campus for parents and students. —

Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026 Coral planting in Costa Rica, women’s empowerment projects in Morocco, artisan preservation in Japan and Sweden, and elephant sanctuaries in Botswana are embedded into itineraries. —

Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026 The fast craft crossing takes about two hours, carrying visitors from Cebu’s urban center to Bohol’s countryside, home to the Chocolate Hills and tarsier sanctuaries. —

Maria Williams, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctuaries

Noun

Its architecture and interior design likewise reinforced sumo’s connection to religion through aesthetic nods to the Shinto shrines where some tournaments had previously been held.

— Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Iranian cemeteries, holy shrines and mosques -- which normally are venues for the 40th-day ceremonies -- have turned into scenes of the most extraordinary ways of mourning in the country, as victims’ families have been dancing to mourn as a sign of defiance.

— Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026