bars 1 of 2

plural of bar
1
as in beams
a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide all of the prison's windows are partially covered with steel bars

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2
as in streaks
a line or long narrow section differing in color from the background the cat had a bar of white down her throat

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3
as in mounds
a pile or ridge of granular matter (as sand or snow) more than one boater has run aground on that treacherous bar of sand in the river

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4
5
as in tribunals
an assembly of persons for the administration of justice rather than try and convict the alleged murderer in the mass media, let justice be done at the bar

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6
7
as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared we need to raise the bar for what is acceptable behavior in this situation

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bars

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bar
1
as in stripes
to make stripes on barred the fence with white strips

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2
3
4
as in guards
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the bikeway was barred by a huge fallen tree

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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 bars
Noun
When World Cup season descends upon soccer-mad Brazil, green and yellow banners decorate restaurants, bars and apartment buildings, streets are painted with flags and soccer balls, and discussions of the beloved national team's games are ubiquitous. ABC News, 3 July 2026 The dynamic duo of Jonda Valentine, an artist and daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, and her longtime friend Christa Suppan, who started as a bartender when Lipstick first opened, share co-ownership of the two bars. Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 July 2026 Shanty has a ski village area with bars and restaurants with bachelorette parties, wedding parties and golfers right in the mix. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Eighteen establishments, including multiple bars and food stands at AT&T Stadium, received a perfect score of 100. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026 The company offers thousands of products ranging from bullion coins and bars to collectible and limited-edition pieces. Jamela Adam, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Restaurants and bars in the neighborhood are reporting drastic drops in business after thousands of Angelenos sheltered in place under a constant plume of smoke. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026 After 42 years behind bars, Mayes is now being freed. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 23 June 2026 But downtown Sunnyvale really comes alive once the sun begins to set, with a vast array of bars, nightclubs and late-night dining peppered throughout the city’s streets. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
Verb
The law also bars commercial activity on the property and requires public access be maintained. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case, seeking to determine whether federal law bars states from holding a company liable for failing to include a warning that the EPA reviewed and chose not to require. Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Court bars asylum claims before refugees enter US Alito wrote another decision June 25 for a 6-3 majority that allowed the administration to turn back refugees at the border. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 July 2026 The framework bars funds from reaching non-state armed groups, which means a contractor's ownership and its access route into the south both need checking before money moves. Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Last year the court's conservative super-majority upheld a Tennessee law that bars medical professionals from providing gender affirming care for minors. Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 June 2026 Last year the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that bars certain types of gender-affirming medical care for children involving puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 June 2026 Namely, Section 2 of the law, which bars election practices that prevent voters from electing the candidate of their choice. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 Aesha radios Nathan as much, and Nathan bars him from driving the Jet Ski. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • In the evening, the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks show will draw thousands of eyes upward as 85,000 shells are launched from six barges and a laser show beams up from the Brooklyn Bridge.
    Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 2 July 2026
  • The filmmakers cut freely and rapidly among the duo’s poses, their stumbles, their fears, their tightrope walks across precarious beams in the sky.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Second, brighter satellites also create streaks in telescope images that mar observations.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 1 July 2026
  • Cold streaks are inevitable when betting on home runs, and the MLB best home run bets are in a slight funk, with six straight losing suggestions.
    Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Helicopter flyovers of Big Cypress National Preserve identified remote indigenous mounds, to this day largely unexplored.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • Archaeologists have determined the mounds served ceremonial, spiritual and burial functions, though many details of their cultural significance remain a mystery.
    Joe Yogerst, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • By contrast, generations of pubs have catered to a broad swath of society, so many Melburnians enjoy eating out affordably as a matter of course.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • Wednesday afternoon, thousands of Scots will be in Broward, partying at pubs and riding on riverboats in Fort Lauderdale.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • In 1996, the United Nations selected her as chief prosecutor of the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
    Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • Located just 2 miles away from the former insurance building that housed the residual mechanism, the ICC was set up as a permanent, global court to prosecute humanity’s worst crimes and forestall the need to create ad hoc tribunals for every conflict.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • Crews can drive directly into rivers or lakes without installing additional equipment, allowing the vehicle to continue moving even when water obstacles stand in the way.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
  • Remember, your perspective shapes your reality—choose to see opportunities over obstacles.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The next step in the process involves the city drafting a redevelopment plan outlining development standards before holding public hearings and seeking additional approvals.
    Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • If an employer chooses to grant recognition, no election takes place, and the parties begin bargaining a contract that sets standards for wages, working conditions and benefits.
    Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • Opt for scalloped French tips with blue fresco detailing, or stripes the color of the Tuscan sun.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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