hedges 1 of 2

noun

plural of hedge
as in fences
a physical object that blocks the way the messenger was confronted with a hedge of spears held aloft by the castle guards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hedges

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hedge
1
as in weasels
to avoid giving a definite answer or position kept hedging whenever asked for an opinion on the matter

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in houses
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers the prison was hedged by a high stone wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 hedges
Noun
The famous hedges were removed from Sanford Stadium for that occasion. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Platforms' latest offerings include perpetual futures contracts and hedges for certain risks, which experts said are ways for the platforms to appeal to Wall Street and identify as serious financial instruments. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026 The great diversity of forms available lend themselves to foundation plantings, edging and low hedges, as well as architectural accents and reliable container plantings. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 That plate went back and forth through the hedges between our houses for years. — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Boxwood shrubs are a great option for pristine hedges and natural privacy screens, elevating your landscaping with their bright green foliage and clean appearance. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026 Speaking of sculpture, boxwood hedges can be pristinely pruned for a polished look. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026 Wall Street prized Park Avenue co-ops, then the first wave of Silicon Valley fortunes flashed in glass boxes behind the hedges of Atherton and Los Altos Hills. — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Older homes are being torn down, replaced by sleek new constructions, and private security forces can be spotted along residential streets, parked in front of gates and hedges. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
Verb
Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026 With a minimal, yet still impactful, pastel floral design, the rug hedges its saccharine design with ample negative space. — Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026 Neville hedges his bet by filling us in on Michaels’ spotlight apprehension, making his reticence a through line. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 Below the threshold, AI hedges your brand or ignores it. — Jason Barnard, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2026 Royal Caribbean, which hedges roughly 60% of its fuel costs, was less affected than Norwegian and Carnival. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026 Newsom hedges his bets by portraying the budget as a placeholder that covers little more than spending increases driven by law, inflation and caseload until more revenue data are received. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hedges
  1. fences
  2. houses
  3. walls
  4. confines
  5. barriers
  6. barricades
Noun
  • The thieves broke through multiple fences to gain access to the storage unit.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • However, the access point to the north side of Friendship Park, situated between the primary and secondary border fences, remains closed.
    — Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fences
Verb
  • Lynne Sladky The nearly 10,000-square-foot (900 square meters) Jellyfish Museum houses roughly 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida waters and other parts of the world.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bass has applied for preliminary permits to build a two-floor, 3,000-square-foot office and rental center on the northwest side of the property, which now houses a pumphouse.
    — Mark Dee August 18, Idaho Statesman, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of houses
Noun
  • Plywood shelves lined the walls, their planks bowed in the middle.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Attesting to his labor is an ovoid pavilion at the exhibition’s center recreating Brancusi’s studio, chock-a-block with his myriad tools and flanked by walls on both sides bearing letters, photographs, and archival items.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of walls
Verb
  • Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
  • In an industry that often confines its actors, especially women and especially Black women, Hall continues to carve a path defined by risk, depth and courage.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
Definition of confines
Noun
  • The physical barriers – like walls and fencing – will be more prominent outside the park, according to current plans.
    — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Discover the three invisible barriers that hold back high achievers and how to reframe each situation, with tips from negotiation expert Kwame Christian.
    — Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of barriers
Noun
  • Farmers blocked the highways leading into the city while demonstrators erected barricades throughout Cochabamba, occupied the central plaza, and halted transportation and commerce.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance, KEYT reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of barricades

Browse Nearby Words

hedge (in)
hedges
hedges (in)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hedges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hedges. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hedges

Nglish: Translation of hedges for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All