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as in hideouts
a place where a person goes to hide or to avoid others
an abandoned building that is often used as a den by the city's petty criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dens
Loft spaces, finished basements, dens, and extra bedrooms offer families and buyers more room to meet their myriad needs.
—
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Male polar bears are active throughout the winter, unlike pregnant females that seek dens to enter their deep winter sleep and give birth.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Forest-clearing, road-building and human agriculture have been a net good for groundhogs, increasing their access to food and providing them places to construct their dens, according to the Animal Diversity Web operated by the University of Michigan.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
For this reason, groundhogs in Alabama emerge from their dens much earlier than those in Wisconsin.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Unlike many hibernators, which usually retreat to insulated dens, these squirrels remain exposed to subzero soil temperatures.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Animals are very protective of their dens.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
The species is typically found in high elevation, mountainous areas and often gives birth to litters of kits in dens dug in snow.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Wood and wood veneer wall coverings make great feature walls or add coziness to dens or libraries.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Male polar bears are active throughout the winter, unlike pregnant females that seek dens to enter their deep winter sleep and give birth.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Forest-clearing, road-building and human agriculture have been a net good for groundhogs, increasing their access to food and providing them places to construct their dens, according to the Animal Diversity Web operated by the University of Michigan.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
For this reason, groundhogs in Alabama emerge from their dens much earlier than those in Wisconsin.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Unlike many hibernators, which usually retreat to insulated dens, these squirrels remain exposed to subzero soil temperatures.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Animals are very protective of their dens.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
The species is typically found in high elevation, mountainous areas and often gives birth to litters of kits in dens dug in snow.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Wood and wood veneer wall coverings make great feature walls or add coziness to dens or libraries.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dens
Noun
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These involve raiding the lairs of hoodlum rivals, then singlehandedly dissuading them from competition.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Guests settle into plush dining chairs and couchette-style hideouts for exquisite suppers in Art Deco interiors, all while the train trundles through the British countryside.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
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Taiwo Adebayo, a researcher specializing in Boko Haram at the Institute for Security Studies, said the army began an offensive last month, proactively moving into hideouts to engage the insurgents.—
Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An increasing number of bears had previously been observed spending more time on land during the summer, plundering birds’ nests in west Svalbard, and data had shown more adult females in east Svalbard spending more time in areas with bird colonies.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Valuable loot has been placed in bird’s nests and chimneys around the map.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to information about the rat control program, signs of rats in a residential yard could include burrows, droppings or dirt mounds near fences or garages.—
Jessi Virtusio,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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The rodents are known to live in underground burrows, where they usually are located when called upon to do their Groundhog Day duties.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There are signs that lawmakers in both parties see the benefits of taking steps to add houses before this year's elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sixty-five warming spaces — located at hospitals, houses of worship and schools — are active around town throughout the weekend, with warming buses also parked outside many of the hospitals and also transit hubs.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dens. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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