as in sailor
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel
a book about the adventurous lives of tars, skippers, and pirates of the 18th century
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to soil
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 tar
R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
The expert says Goo Gone can seep into the tiny cracks and pores of the tar on garage floors and soften it from the inside out for easy cleanup.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Whether more moderate candidates can effectively be tarred with Mamdani's agenda remains to be seen.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tar
Noun
Mummification experts at Saqqara drew on a continental network that supplied oils, tars and resins, combining these materials with specialized techniques of antisepsis, embalming, wrapping and coffin sealing.
—R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
The expert says Goo Gone can seep into the tiny cracks and pores of the tar on garage floors and soften it from the inside out for easy cleanup.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
Macaulay hasn’t talked to his father in years, but he wasn’t tarred by Kit’s power-hungry my-way-or-the-highway strongarming, using his solid gold son as his leverage.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Whether more moderate candidates can effectively be tarred with Mamdani's agenda remains to be seen.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tar
Noun
-
The Houthis attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January 2025, and also launched projectiles at Israel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Legend says mermaid sirens lured sailors here.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When prairie goes under the plow, most of the organic matter disappears, turning living water‑holding, nutrient‑rich soil into mineral dust.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fill the trash can about 2/3 full with hot water, or up to the rim if it's soiled near the top.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ross’ second husband, mariner Joseph Ashburn, served the Revolution as a privateer and died in an English prison.—
Marla Miller,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
-
At least 12 incidents involving vessels around the strait have been confirmed since fighting began, according to two global trackers, and at least seven mariners have been killed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Among other issues, the salt concentration of the water isn't high enough and the creature has already developed a skin disease, local media reported.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In reality, the physics and chemistry within a salt cavern dictate a very different story.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Victim advocacy roles such as shelter managers and housing navigators, which sometimes require a graduate degree, are already chronically underpaid.—
Kaelyn Lara,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
-
However, navigators sent 12,674 text messages to redirected voters that shared a map of their correct precinct, giving a hint of the scope.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Phelps demonstrated how to feed the paper manually, striking the keys with force but not so hard the letters would smudge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, at the Milan Fashion Week show, the star embraced an edgy aesthetic with a messy low ponytail and smudged black eyeliner with smoky navy eyeshadow.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tar. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
