shillelaghs

noun

variants also shillalahs
plural of shillelagh
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment the bartender in the Irish pub keeps a shillelagh behind the bar just in case there's trouble

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shillelaghs
  1. canes
  2. batons
Noun
  • Questions that have been proposed for removal deal with memory, fatigue, arthritis, difficulty walking and climbing stairs, as well as others about the use of hearing aids, canes, wheelchairs and scooters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This is because fruit development consumes much of the vine’s energy, so removing the fruit at this point allows the vine’s energy to continue to develop a strong cordon, canes (vertical shoots), and root system.
    — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of canes
Noun
  • The study team gave them wooden batons and instructions to not physically harm the prisoners, but maintain law and order.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • For days, protesters have hurled rocks, flares, firebombs and fireworks at police who have used batons, water cannons and tear gas in clashes in the city center.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of batons
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shillelagh
shillelaghs
shills
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shillelaghs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shillelaghs. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of disparate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All