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Definition of barsnext
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
The founders argue that automation should be accessible to smaller operators, including neighborhood bars and private event spaces. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026 Braddy was sentenced to 30 years behind bars but was released from prison in 1997 — a year before Quatisha’s killing — after serving only 13 years. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026 The demand for creative craft cocktails reflects the city's quiet climb to one of the world's cocktail capitals, with bars regularly pulling in accolades and awards. Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026 The mayor said that council officials are meant to carry out annual reviews of establishments like bars and assess areas that could catch fire, such as kitchens. Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026 Around Austin, bars have stepped up, building nonalcoholic menus that feel intentional, not punitive — and certainly not like a kid’s menu for adults. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 6 Jan. 2026 But Cunningham’s claims are just part of a broader petition, which alleges safety issues at the county jail due to McFadden’s mismanagement, retaliation against critics and directing on-duty deputies to take officials in town for a conference to bars and strip clubs. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026 That means even gold holdings that may have once felt modest — a few coins, a handful of bars or a retirement allocation — could represent a much larger share of your net worth. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026 Gay bars started to emerge at The Crossroads — the intersection at Throckmorton Street and Cedar Springs Road. Timia Cobb breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
Brown has a prior felony gun conviction in Contra Costa that bars him from possessing firearms, according to the criminal complaint. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026 The appellate court ruled that the 2024 state law, which also bars other Indiana municipalities from suing gun companies moving forward, can retroactively void the Gary lawsuit. Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 29 Dec. 2025 For a breezy seaside option, the waterfront bars in nearby Villanova are perfect for savoring drinks as the sun sets over the harbor. Megan Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025 In labor markets, this means eliminating occupational licensing that bars entry into modest jobs and reforming scope-of-practice rules that limit access to health care. Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025 The ruling also bars employees from calling students by names or pronouns that don’t match their legal ones if their parents object. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025 New York law bars ICE from making an arrest inside the courtroom, so instead of taking him into custody there, agents now have to find him. Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025 Martial law bars all men aged 23 to 60 who are eligible for military service from leaving the country. Clarissa Ward, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025 The Wisconsin Constitution bars convicted felons from holding public office. Todd Richmond, Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bars
Noun
  • Palisades Village displayed three beams of light rising from the property on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County — and to honor the victims and survivors in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Malibu communities.
    Staff report, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Their family property has sat empty for years — the horse corral's beams are broken and its roof caved in, the garage tilts, and the house needs extensive repairs.
    Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This causes cleaners to evaporate too quickly and can make streaks harder to remove.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Shares of CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks declined Thursday, breaking their three-session winning streaks.
    Jeff Marks,Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Admire the sunset on the mounds of red sand in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
  • New Yorkers had a similar mindset, taking to long, empty avenues with skiis to enjoy miniature urban slopes, whizzing past cars buried in the icy mounds.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, local shopkeepers sell everything from home décor to fine art, and restaurants range from cheery cafes to moody pubs.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
  • For centuries, people gathering in bars and pubs have found ways to occupy their time, whether that’s classic games like billiards and darts or more recent inventions like video games and mechanical bulls.
    Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Nuremberg trials also helped to establish precedents used in later international criminal tribunals, including those in the wake of the Bosnian war and Rwandan genocide, and influenced the formation of the International Criminal Court, which began operating in 2002 in The Hague.
    B.B. Blaber, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
  • That panel included two former judges who had overseen international criminal tribunals, a former legal adviser to the British Foreign Office, and Amal Clooney, a British Lebanese human-rights lawyer and the wife of George Clooney.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Institutions were obstacles to be blamed or bypassed.
    Philip Martin, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Ladders can help fish circumvent these obstacles, but learning to navigate them can take the animals days.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Capping those rates could backfire, resulting in significantly stricter lending standards and making credit unavailable to lower-income people or those with lower credit scores.
    Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Beyond money, other issues expected to be hammered out in CBA talks include the length of the season, facility and travel standards, retirement benefits and changes to rookie deals.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is preparing for his team of lawyers to make their argument in front of the top court, a case defending the state's Save Women's Sports Act, which prohibits those who were assigned male at birth from playing on competitive female sports teams.
    Lauren Linder, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
  • British law currently prohibits distribution of deepfake imagery depicting adults.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bars. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

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