wharves

variants also wharfs
Definition of wharvesnext
plural of wharf
as in docks
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers tied the rowboat up at the wharf

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 wharves The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026 The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025 Maybe wind your way around the neighborhood’s old wharfs and small brick houses; or lock up your bike and check out an exhibition at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, then grab lunch at the kitschy crab shack Brooklyn Crab. Francesca Carington, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wharves
Noun
  • Two loading docks that previously housed trash dumpsters for the older building have been reclaimed as a visualization lab and a robotics lab.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.
    Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Strong longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers into rip currents, piers, jetties and other hazardous areas.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
  • With climate change causing storms to be stronger and rougher than in the past, communities up and down the California coast are facing a similar challenge, as other aging wooden piers suffer damage, leaving cities facing large bills while the public clamors to keep the popular attractions open.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Wine is embedded in the city’s architecture, history and daily life, from grand 18th-century façades to the bustling quays of the Garonne.
    Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wharves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wharves. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

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