Definition of sanctuarynext
1
as in shrine
a place that is considered sacred (as within a religion) by law, anyone who sought refuge in a religious sanctuary was safe from arrest by the civil authorities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

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 sanctuary This nonprofit equine sanctuary provides elderly horses with room to roam. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 May 2026 Like rhinos, there are several rhino sanctuaries in the region, as well as the community focused wildlife conservancies and sustainable luxury lodges that are putting this part of East Africa on the travel map. AFAR Media, 15 May 2026 Initially, Drexel says government officials demanded the church install facial-recognition cameras inside the sanctuary to monitor worshipers. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026 As part of efforts to phase out the use of monkeys in research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to transfer more than 160 macaques to Born Free USA, a nonprofit that runs a large primate sanctuary in Texas. Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sanctuary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctuary
Noun
  • There was a golden shrine pushed to the corner of the room to make way for a projector and a comically large sound system.
    Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
  • Kanazawa offers historic streets, gardens, shrines, and traditional districts with fewer crowds than Kyoto.
    Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • As a break from the drudgery of surviving a fraught postgraduate landscape, Harris sought refuge in her imagination.
    Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
  • Today, Tursun lives in the United States with her surviving children after eventually receiving refuge following congressional testimony in 2018 about her experiences in China.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • Newborns in incubators were transferred and doctors and nurses scrambled to find shelter amid fears the hospital would become the next casualty in Haiti’s escalating gang wars.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • The backstory Built in 1710, the Stockton Inn has served as a private residence, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and a riverside retreat for famous artists, musicians, and authors.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
  • Burnout, grief, trauma, addiction and mental health challenges are pushing more Americans to look beyond traditional outpatient care — and recovery retreats are stepping into that gap.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sanctuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctuary. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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