1
as in buildings
something built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity
the only structure on the island is an old Spanish fort—or what's left of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in constructions
something put together by arranging or connecting an array of parts
the Egyptian pyramids are among the most remarkable structures ever built
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in architectures
the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form
the basic structure of all those tract houses is the same: basically, a box
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of structures
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The Palisades fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, becoming the third-most destructive fire in state history.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
The quaint city suffered very little damage during World War II, meaning its distinctly medieval structures have managed to remain intact over the years.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
One trend that has gained traction is the use of low-profile, unobtrusive structures that prioritize the land over the building.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Taking their place was the Hall of Education (built with private funds), which stands today, and other functional structures.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Another 9,400 homes and structures were destroyed 35 miles away to the east in Altadena.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Though so many structures in Altadena may be gone, the bonds between its people have only gotten stronger since the tragedy.
—Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Nov. 2025
Council members made several modifications from the first reading, including changes to penalty structures and license transferability.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
In all, more than 8,000 California wildfires blackened 525,223 acres, killed 31 people and burned 16,512 structures in the past year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The Palisades fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, becoming the third-most destructive fire in state history.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
The quaint city suffered very little damage during World War II, meaning its distinctly medieval structures have managed to remain intact over the years.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
One trend that has gained traction is the use of low-profile, unobtrusive structures that prioritize the land over the building.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Taking their place was the Hall of Education (built with private funds), which stands today, and other functional structures.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Another 9,400 homes and structures were destroyed 35 miles away to the east in Altadena.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Though so many structures in Altadena may be gone, the bonds between its people have only gotten stronger since the tragedy.
—Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Nov. 2025
Council members made several modifications from the first reading, including changes to penalty structures and license transferability.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for structures
Noun
-
Federal buildings became sites of protests, including those resulting in protesters clashing with law enforcement.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
-
On Wednesday, numerous commemorations and tributes occurred in the devastated communities and throughout the city and county of Los Angeles —including flags flying at half-staff at City Hall, county buildings and at all state buildings.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The theme relies on pigments, heavyweight constructions and finishing effects to tell its story.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Washington Post first reported the news of the demolition, saying that constructions crews were using a backhoe to rip through and demolish a portion of the White House's East Wing.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tensor said the Robocar can charge from 20 to 80 percent in around 10 minutes at an average power of roughly 400 kW and supports both 500V and 750V architectures.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Tesla, Rivian and several Chinese companies have zonal electrical architectures on the road.—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As Victor constructs his lab and assembles the Creature, the various stages of its creation are meticulously portrayed.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
3 Jan. 2026
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By shuffling these more personal images with his own photographs of their rooms—draperies, windows, unmade beds, a shower stall—Xu constructs a fascinating if confounding new reality, a stage set destined to be struck.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Funeral arrangements are pending.—
Pilar Arias,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
King Charles is reportedly cracking down on royal family housing arrangements and ordering non-working royals to fund their own lifestyles.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Because health care has been relatively slow to develop AI governance frameworks, CFOs are increasingly being asked to approve significant investments in technology their organizations may not yet have the internal expertise to evaluate or manage, Freestone said.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
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In practice, the idea behind Trade The Pool is relatively straightforward - applying institutional-style capital allocation and risk frameworks to individual traders.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Alex Rafalowicz, executive director of that initiative, told me the idea for a treaty builds on an International Court of Justice decision earlier this year that held nations legally responsible for curbing climate-heating pollution.—
John D. Sutter,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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The waste generated by the 3D printed builds is deposited into casts resembling large Leggo bricks.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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HostColor states that its VDS plans are designed to support compatibility with major hyperscale cloud infrastructures, including AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.—
Nia Bowers,
Miami Herald,
5 Jan. 2026
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Earlier this year, DEEP awarded $15 million in grants to municipalities across the state to build up investments in local and regional waste management infrastructures.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Structures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/structures. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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