as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
in her farewell speech, the departing governor got in some retaliatory girds at the media
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in wraps
to encircle or bind with or as if with a belt
for the celebration of the heroes' return, well-wishers girded hundreds of trees with yellow ribbons she girded her waist with a delicate sash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equips
to provide (someone) with what is needed for a task or activity
the Spartan warrior girded himself for battle with sword and shield
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in surrounds
to form a circle around
a tall hedge girds the exclusive estate and shields it from prying eyes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 girds
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling rebuked a Northwest Side alderman who expressed skepticism this week about Chicago’s year-over-year crime declines as the city girds itself ahead of a possible deployment of National Guard troops.
—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girds
Noun
-
According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Verb
-
While every room has a private pool with amazing views, don’t miss the resort’s stunning main pool that wraps around a central garden.
-
The deal that puts a brand in 4,000 stores gets its final validation not in a boardroom but in a line that wraps around a booth in New Orleans.
Verb
-
AerAware departs from traditional head-up displays and instead equips both pilots with a dual wearable system that delivers the same information to each cockpit seat.
-
Whether your 9-to-5 job involves a rare combination of manual record keeping and precarious wilderness travel, or your idea of outdoor recreation includes journaling your day while remaining at the ready for whatever nature hurls at you, the all-new Pen-metheus equips you for it all.
Verb
-
Whether a black hole appears dark or dazzling depends largely on how much gas and dust surrounds it, not on the black hole itself.
-
Courts are not operating in the same zone of scientific uncertainty that surrounds many glyphosate, talc, or social media claims.
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
Verb
-
The agency furnishes those six apartments and provides dishes and other essentials.
-
The identification of that fake photo now furnishes an alibi for those who want to deny the real bombing.
Verb
-
In the center of Washington Park is a lagoon, which once weaved in a crescent shape around a peninsula in a configuration that annoyed boaters, but now encircles a central island called Bynum Island.
-
The Chicago Outerbelt, a 210-mile trail that encircles the city, intrigued our copy editor.
Noun
-
Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
-
More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.
Cite this Entry
“Girds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girds. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
