How to Use sanctuary in a Sentence

sanctuary

1 of 2 noun
  • The refugees found sanctuary when they crossed the border.
  • The house was a sanctuary for runaway teens.
  • The sanctuary contains the altar of sacrifice.
  • This is a sanctuary, a place of calm.
    — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Some were left at the base of a large tree that once stood in the sanctuary.
    — Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2024
  • The sanctuary was dark and silent.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
  • For some men, like my dad back in the day, the garage is their sanctuary.
    — Marni Jameson, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2026
  • This was a man’s home sanctuary.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
  • The home is a sanctuary for the British monarch.
    — Elle Meier, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The presence of bear cubs is out of the norm at the wildlife sanctuary.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
  • With its lighter decor, the bedroom was meant to be a sanctuary.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • In this context, the kitchen is not a sanctuary.
    — Michelle Beadle Holder, SELF, 16 Mar. 2026
  • The chapel was his sanctuary and solace.
    — Janelle Ash , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Would setting up a space or part of space in the home as your sanctuary be helpful?
    — Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023
  • Soft, curved corners on this pedestal bed make for a highly serene sanctuary.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Mar. 2026
  • But that's why the sanctuary is even more worried about the survival of the guinea pigs.
    — Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Curling was a sanctuary for me.
    — Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Compton Manor is both a sanctuary and prison.
    — Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
  • If the bed is a sanctuary, the surface isn’t peaceful.
    — Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
  • The heart is fed to one of the sanctuary’s big cats, and donors receive a video of the feeding.
    — Julian Torres, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Two people were in the sanctuary when the fire occurred and were able to leave unharmed.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
  • Here, a car is a sanctuary, a second home and a status symbol.
    — Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Lyson estimated that there are now dozens of such wild birds at the sanctuary.
    — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This wildlife sanctuary is just a short distance past Girdwood on the right.
    — Victoria Barber, Anchorage Daily News, 10 July 2023
  • The egg hunt, for ages 12 and younger, was a draw for savvy parents in the know about the sanctuary.
    — Holly Andres, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Think of Montana’s green o as sanctuaries for two among the trees.
    — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 11 Apr. 2023
  • Some were like Rex, found wandering the streets and turned in to the sanctuary.
    — Alina Hartounian, NPR, 18 May 2026
  • Behind the nine founders’ chairs are two church pews that are currently used in our sanctuary.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • For would-be homeowners like him, a sanctuary remains just out of reach.
    — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
  • There were wreaths up in Hall’s sanctuary, the caucuses just a few weeks away.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2024

sanctuary

2 of 2 adjective
  • Most of those who were involved in the sanctuary part of the church were old, like him.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Does Ohio have 'sanctuary cities'?
    — Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Rickon noted that many have her sanctuary in their wills.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Snakes, frogs, and toucans also call the wildlife sanctuary home.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2023
  • More than half of their cats are sanctuary residents.
    — Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • That means Charlotte is not a sanctuary city in the formal sense.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
  • To some, a bed is a sanctuary—a place of serenity, calm, and escape.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The church released designs for the new sanctuary three months after the fire.
    — Julia Falcon, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
  • The vultures are blamed for infecting dozens of birds in sanctuary care.
    — Leon Stafford, ajc, 23 Sep. 2022
  • These are resources that were spent because of the city’s sanctuary status.
    — Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The group is present in multiple sanctuary cities across the country.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The group is present in multiple sanctuary cities across the country.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Nuance is not a word that figures into Wells’ view on the sanctuary law.
    — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • Sandbags now line the hallways and sanctuary.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Wight rallied groups to speak against the sanctuary-city proposal.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The sanctuary hopes to release the eaglet back into the wild this summer.
    — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2023
  • The state of Florida is not, and never will be, a sanctuary state.
    — Louis Casiano, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2023
  • Raiden offers sanctuary at his temple to all those bearing the dragon mark.
    — Nick Romano, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2021
  • Yet as fire approached the sanctuary, Pribble and others fought the flames and kept the birds safe.
    — Dino Grandoni, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug. 2023
  • For any adolescent, a private bedroom is both sanctuary and mood board.
    — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Standout views of the Toronto islands add to the sanctuary-like vibe.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • There are lawsuits pending against sanctuary cities, more coming.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
  • They will then be transferred to a sanctuary or shelter where they can be adopted into a loving home.
    — Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Nov. 2025
  • Second, repeal the sanctuary policies that have led to so much crime and violence in your state.
    — Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Is Cincinnati a 'sanctuary city'?
    — Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Shires said that the barn has become a kind of personal archive, equal parts sanctuary and playground.
    — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Sep. 2025
  • After the eaglet was checked for injuries, the sanctuary staff’s next task was to figure out which eagle to bond it with.
    — Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023
  • There simply wasn't enough money to provide sanctuary — or even food — to all the women who needed it.
    — Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
  • In the past, the president himself has threatened to cut funding to sanctuary cities.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 28 May 2026
  • The same can be said for looking ball collections, your bird sanctuary complete with not one but five bird baths, and bottle trees.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 31 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sanctuary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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