variants
also sancta
1
as in shrines
a place that is considered sacred (as within a religion)
the city of Jerusalem is an important sanctum for Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in refuges
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger
used the cabin in the woods as a sanctum from the commotion and interference of his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sanctums
By then, Israeli intelligence had planted a bomb in a Revolutionary Guards guest house that, in addition to killing the political leader of Hamas in Gaza, also demonstrated its ability to penetrate the innermost sanctums of the Iranian regime.
—
Richard Hall, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
His primary qualification for infiltrating the innermost sanctums of Trumpworld would seem to be a vast capacity for cozying up to friends of the Donald.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The 17 suites of the new hotel are similarly minimalist sanctums made of polished concrete and dark wood, tucked away in a wilderness fantasia and connected to a main building where guests congregate around an infinity pool and elegant restaurant.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Richard Hall, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
His primary qualification for infiltrating the innermost sanctums of Trumpworld would seem to be a vast capacity for cozying up to friends of the Donald.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The 17 suites of the new hotel are similarly minimalist sanctums made of polished concrete and dark wood, tucked away in a wilderness fantasia and connected to a main building where guests congregate around an infinity pool and elegant restaurant.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctums
Noun
-
The concierge specializes in Kyoto’s cultural events, and can help access exclusive ochaya with an interpreter, score tickets to the theater, book dinner reservations, a huge help in Kyoto, or help arrange meetings with monks and priests at the city’s Shinto shrines and temples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Many of the cities targeted in the war today are home to these types of shrines, including Qom, Isfahan and Mashhad.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Why perpetuate this problem in city parks — our best refuges from the danger, noise and congestion of city streets?—
Jon Orcutt,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
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Aire Ancient Baths A subterranean theater of candlelit pools and vaulted brick, Aire remains one of the city’s few strictly phone-and-camera-free refuges.—
Amy Louise Bailey,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The decision to inaugurate the first urban Six Senses property in Rome was partially driven by the owner’s love of all things Italian and is part of a new drive to bring sanctuaries to bigger cities.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That brightening would affect the entire planet, including remote locations that are now considered dark sky sanctuaries, where astronomers build their sky-observing machines.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
SaveABunny partners with other shelters and is often the last resort.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In their filing in Sacramento Superior Court, the residents accuse city officials of violating Measure O, which mandates that interim shelters sit more than 500 feet away from bodies of water or streams.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some Singaporean businesses run offshore manufacturing operations in Batam, while others send staff to the island for meetings or corporate retreats, Tan said.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
-
That total wasn’t built on epic reading binges or monastic retreats.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When fear eases, the rush into safe havens tends to ease with it.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Vested with the responsibility of finding havens for some of the county’s most fragile, lonely people, often without relatives or those able to care for them, Hernandez has been accused of treating them like commodities.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The rooms Properties range from traditional two-story, three-bedroom villas with shingle roofs to modern hilltop residences that wouldn’t be out of place in Beverly Hills.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Johnson’s ordinance also permitted them by right in areas across the city zoned for multiunit residences and some business and commercial districts.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctums. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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