moat

noun

Definition of moatnext
as in ditch
a deep, wide excavation that is usually filled with water and that goes around the walls of a place (such as a castle) to protect it from being attacked

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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 moat Stone walls extend beyond the house into the gardens, while a dry stone moat runs along the front with a bridge leading to the entrance. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026 Functionality will be segmented, access will be controlled, and IP will be protected – lo and behold, there is the moat. — Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Supported by massive regulatory moats, long-term secular demand from GLP-1s and biologics and a clean balance sheet, West is exceptionally well-positioned to compound earnings and deliver strong returns over the long term. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moat
  1. ditch
  2. trench
  3. dike
  4. culvert
  5. ha-ha
  6. ravine
  7. gutter
Noun
  • Lower courts had tossed out the last-ditch appeals to save Bruce by concluding the animal rescue lacked a concrete interest in the dog's survival sufficient to challenge the dangerousness finding by local authorities.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Arlington police are investigating the death of a 42-year-old man after his car swerved off the road and ended up in a ditch Sunday afternoon.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ditch
Noun
  • Last night, Gerber continued her love affair with the do-everything, go-anywhere little black dress, wearing a knee-length slip beneath an oversized khaki trench.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Both sides have consequently dug legal and PR trenches to snipe at the other and rally endorsements.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of trench
Noun
  • Like many inland dikes, the barrier in agricultural fields near the small town of Waddinxveen, east of The Hague, is made of peat that needs to be damp to be strong enough to hold back water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The company says the W-01 responds to risks from tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, marine submersion and dike or dam failures.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of dike
Noun
  • Marlborough has planned a $508,780 project for the South Road culvert replacement.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • The Accord apparently left the road and struck a culvert, with the driver suffering non-life-threatening injuries and another passenger uninjured.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of culvert
Noun
  • Brazilian fandom is a funny thing, both in its complexity — Brazil, as one of its great cultural figures once said, is not for beginners — and in the ha-ha sense.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Workers repairing a ha-ha, a ditch traditionally used to contain livestock without interrupting the view across an estate, uncovered a tunnel entrance, along with Tudor-era artifacts including pottery, bones, and glass bottles.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of ha-ha
Noun
  • Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Rising from near the Aegean coast to 9,573-foot Mytikas, Greece’s highest peak, the mountain encompasses forests, ravines, limestone cliffs, and alpine habitat with unusually rich plant diversity.
    — Bailey Berg, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • But obviously with the right intent, which is how to serve artists and storm gutters the right way and create value.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Winds ripped gutters from cottages where staff members live during the school year and tore the face from a clock tower that has stood at the school since its founding more than a century ago.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of gutter

Browse Nearby Words

moans
moat
moats
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Cite this Entry

“Moat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moat. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on moat

Nglish: Translation of moat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moat

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