brick-and-mortar

adjective

brick-and-mor·​tar ˈbrik-ən(d)-ˈmȯr-tər How to pronounce brick-and-mortar (audio)
variants or bricks-and-mortar
: relating to or being a traditional business serving customers in a building as contrasted to an online business
a brick-and-mortar store

Examples of brick-and-mortar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the 2000s, a bricks-and-mortar retail boom ended with the jailing of Huang Guangyu, the billionaire founder of GOME Electronics, convicted of bribery and insider trading. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Partners Coffee has four brick-and-mortar shops in New York, Hydrangea popped up in California, Aviary Coffee in Cleveland, The Picky Chemist in Belgium, and the sleek newcomer Watchhouse from the UK will open five stores in New York City this year. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 An Overland Park farmers market fan favorite has opened its first brick-and-mortar location. — Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026 Walmart — Shares of the largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the nation tumbled 9%. — Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brick-and-mortar

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brick-and-mortar was in 1975

Rhymes for brick-and-mortar

See All Rhymes for brick-and-mortar

Browse Nearby Words

brick
brick-and-mortar
brickbat
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Cite this Entry

“Brick-and-mortar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick-and-mortar. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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