as in bushes
a thick patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush
flushed a pheasant from a thicket of willows
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Recent Examples of thickets
The solution, Shive and Conway said, is removing many of the overgrown smaller trees that surround the giant sequoias in dense thickets, like white fir, red fir and incense cedar.
—
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
The oasis is packed with dense thickets of date palms and banana plantations.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
Depending on the species, privet hedges can be aggressive invaders that form dense thickets that shade nearby native plants.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026
The seedlings and saplings are mostly knee-high to chest-high and mixed with thickets of ceanothus and other post-fire brush growing amid the true giants that stand dead among them.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Masri’s drumming is lithe and spacious even at its most aggressive; just as Alcorn’s guitar slides move with a gravity-defying, naturalistic force, his attacks seem to sprout out of each other independently, emerging in thickets.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The tracks of Eastern cottontail are also a common sight — especially near thickets of chokecherry, elderberry and other bushes that provide safe shelter.
—Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
This aggressive grower creates thorny thickets that are difficult to remove during the growing season, when its dense leaves make its thorny stems hard to see.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
The oasis is packed with dense thickets of date palms and banana plantations.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
Depending on the species, privet hedges can be aggressive invaders that form dense thickets that shade nearby native plants.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026
The seedlings and saplings are mostly knee-high to chest-high and mixed with thickets of ceanothus and other post-fire brush growing amid the true giants that stand dead among them.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Masri’s drumming is lithe and spacious even at its most aggressive; just as Alcorn’s guitar slides move with a gravity-defying, naturalistic force, his attacks seem to sprout out of each other independently, emerging in thickets.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The tracks of Eastern cottontail are also a common sight — especially near thickets of chokecherry, elderberry and other bushes that provide safe shelter.
—Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
This aggressive grower creates thorny thickets that are difficult to remove during the growing season, when its dense leaves make its thorny stems hard to see.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thickets
Noun
-
Walk in forests where dragonflies buzz and orchids bloom in secret copses.—
Lydia Bell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Aquitaine countryside unfolds in a collage of khaki, tan, and green, dotted with little ponds and copses of trees.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Since their efforts began in 2022, the partnership has thinned the overgrown brush and small trees that provide fuel for fires to burn hotter in 44 of the 94 giant sequoia groves in California.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Pack in a picnic from the nearby town of Guerneville and eat al fresco among the redwood groves.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than honing in on a particular animal or region, the series takes a kaleidoscopic look at life on Earth by visiting different ecosystem types, including plains, mountains, jungles, forests and the mysterious depths of the ocean.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
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Although some money is available from Proposition 4, a climate bond passed by California voters in 2024, more state, federal and private funding is needed to finish the job and maintain the forests, Mietz said.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This cozy drinkery melds British Pub and American Southwest design influences, sporting rich woods, handsome tiling, and booths with a little privacy.—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The specifics of the machine Tesla makes for him are vague, though the surprise discovery of dozens of Angier's top hats in the Colorado woods quickly connects the dots.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thickets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thickets. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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