tavern

noun

ˈta-vərn How to pronounce tavern (audio)
Definition of tavernnext
1
as in pub
a place of business where alcoholic beverages are sold to be consumed on the premises a seedy section of the city's waterfront that was rife with cheap taverns, tattoo parlors, and run-down flophouses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in hotel
a place that provides rooms and usually a public dining room for overnight guests a colonial-era tavern that has been serving weary travelers for two and a half centuries

Synonyms & Similar 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 tavern In the greatest misfortune of a very unlucky life, Fantine (Noémie Merlant) stops at the tavern the Thénardiers run on her way to Montreuil with her angelic daughter Cosette. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 Six months earlier, nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a tavern outside Johannesburg. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 To pay for his room and board, Field made the paintings, paying off his debt to Anna Brigham Dimock, who owned and operated the tavern, and Roderick Dimock, who ran the farm. — Kimberly Phillips, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 The weeklong promotion highlights a wide range of cuisines, from steakhouses and seafood restaurants to taverns, bistros and international dining destinations. — Jane Imbody, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tavern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tavern
  1. pub
  2. hotel
  3. saloon
  4. hostel
  5. bar
  6. inn
Noun
  • The Tap on the Line (pictured above) is the only pub in the capital which sits directly on a tube station platform, and is one of the last remaining 19th-century stations.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The profession initially had been a blue-collar job, and in its origins in the Northeast, going to the pub and drinking after a long day of work was customary.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of pub
Noun
  • Plans for the larger entertainment district include housing, hotels, shops, restaurants, a card room and the city’s first movie theater, though future phases would require additional approvals.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • When Deadline speaks with him in his New York hotel, McKidd is in the throes of filming Conviction, the Elisabeth Moss-starring Hulu legal drama from House creator David Shore.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hotel
Noun
  • The saloon is equipped with all manner of armor and other safety gadgetry but looks almost identical to the standard version of the brand’s luxury flagship.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • With only a few hundred locals and one saloon in town, there wasn’t much distraction.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of saloon
Noun
  • And the old Rapp Saloon — an 1875 brick building at 1436 2nd Street — was reborn in the late 1980s as a meeting space within a four-story hostel, now known as Hostelling International’s HI Los Angeles Santa Monica Hostel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That is, after first running it as a European-style hostel for World Cup guests.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostel
Noun
  • There are seven bedrooms and six full bathrooms dispersed throughout, with additional spaces including a billiards room with a bar, a cozy reading nook, and a sun porch with wraparound windows.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Regiment One55 Bar & Lounge will open inside the restaurant as a space that draws inspiration from British cocktail bars, reimagined through an Indian lens.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bar
Noun
  • There are intimate inns tucked into the woods, bucket-list A-frame Airbnbs, and happening hubs just beyond Main Street available for check-in at your convenience.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Vacant for decades, the mansion is now home to an elegant inn and restaurant.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of inn

Browse Nearby Words

tautology
tavern
taverner
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Cite this Entry

“Tavern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tavern. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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