as in pubs
a place of business where alcoholic beverages are sold to be consumed on the premises
supposedly, that Broadway hangout was the favorite watering hole for 1940s celebrities
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Recent Examples of watering holes
At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.
—
Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Located in Washington Park, the 50-year-old sports bar is a bit of a relic to a decade or two ago in Denver — for better or for worse — when there were sticky neighborhood watering holes all over the place, when wings were cheap and beer choices were limited to Coors Light and Avalanche Ale.
—Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
The city has a lively and eclectic bar scene, replete with old-time saloons and classic watering holes, and welcomes anglers, adventure seekers, and artists alike.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
Now the little street is home to adorable watering holes for some old west nightlife.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
For some businesses, Saturday is the most wonderful day of the year as thousands of Santas visit San Francisco watering holes for Santa Con.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Many of the old watering holes — like Palmer’s Bar, which predates World War I — have struggled and closed amid changing demographics, shifting drinking habits and declining foot traffic.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
Bacon takes his time getting to the fateful voyage; there are myriad sidebars of varying interest on topics such as Great Lakes shipping and the rise of taconite, two lake wrecks that foreshadowed the Fitz, even the sailors’ favorite watering holes.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Located in Washington Park, the 50-year-old sports bar is a bit of a relic to a decade or two ago in Denver — for better or for worse — when there were sticky neighborhood watering holes all over the place, when wings were cheap and beer choices were limited to Coors Light and Avalanche Ale.
—Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
The city has a lively and eclectic bar scene, replete with old-time saloons and classic watering holes, and welcomes anglers, adventure seekers, and artists alike.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
Now the little street is home to adorable watering holes for some old west nightlife.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
For some businesses, Saturday is the most wonderful day of the year as thousands of Santas visit San Francisco watering holes for Santa Con.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Many of the old watering holes — like Palmer’s Bar, which predates World War I — have struggled and closed amid changing demographics, shifting drinking habits and declining foot traffic.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
Bacon takes his time getting to the fateful voyage; there are myriad sidebars of varying interest on topics such as Great Lakes shipping and the rise of taconite, two lake wrecks that foreshadowed the Fitz, even the sailors’ favorite watering holes.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watering holes
Noun
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To relax, people can hit one of the city's many pubs or sip on afternoon tea.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Its use extends far beyond bars and pubs.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The town provides old-timey Western vibes with historic hotels, saloons, and taverns.—
Alex Schechter,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The attack follows a string of mass shootings at bars — often called shebeens or taverns in South Africa.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
From old rail towns to historic saloons, Wyoming’s past is never far from the surface.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Whiskey Row celebrates Prescott's Old West history, with saloons once occupied by outlaws and bandits.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Dining options will encompass numerous restaurants and bars, including the brand’s signature Peacock Alley, a lobby lounge tradition that has anchored Waldorf Astoria properties since the original New York hotel.—
Jennifer Kester,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Physical coins and bars give you direct ownership, while ETFs provide exposure without storage concerns.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The 23-story apartment complex is perched at a key gateway to downtown in the city’s SoFA district, a hub of restaurants, nightclubs, cocktail lounges, shops, arts and culture sites, and live entertainment venues.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The brothers met victims at nightclubs, parties and on dating apps, and recruited others for trips to ritzy locales, paying for their flights and lodging at high-end hotels or luxe vacation rentals before drugging and raping them, prosecutors said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watering holes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watering%20holes. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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