Definition of fennext
as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water a day spent trudging through the fens in quest of game birds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 fen Commoners relied on swamps, fens, forests, and heaths for fuel, gravel, stone, and wood to make tools and to build and repair houses. Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026 The goal was to help preserve and protect the delicate valley and its fens. John Meyer, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2025 Out in the wild, the queen-of-the-prairie grows in moist black soil prairies and meadows, fens, seeps and springs. Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025 Saving a satyr The property features a peat-bearing wetland called a fen, and the Mitchell’s satyr is only found in these rare habitats that take thousands of years to develop. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Dec. 2024 Earth’s earliest wildfires may have been fitful and erratic, flickering among the amphibious flora of fens and bogs. Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024 Bogs and fens are areas that accumulate peat – deposits of dead and partly decomposed plant materials that form organic-rich soil. Jon Sweetman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fen
Noun
  • North American river otters live in rivers, lakes, streams, marshes and on seacoasts, according to the conservation group River Otter Ecology Project.
    Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The land features rich biological diversity such as marshes, mudflats and riparian and coastal sage scrub, including sensitive, threatened or endangered species such as the California gnatcatcher and the fairy shrimp.
    Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Below the bridge, there's also been work to restore wetlands, adding another layer to the effort to preserve the area surrounding the historic structure.
    Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The property contains inland wetland resources, providing functions and values, including groundwater interaction, sediment retention, nutrient removal, wildlife habitat, flood storage, and ecological support, the motion says.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Farther downstream, there was the Lake of the Jarayés and the delta; upstream, the great swamp.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.
    Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fen. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on fen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster