bivouac 1 of 2

noun

ˈbi-və-ˌwak How to pronounce bivouac (audio)
Definition of bivouacnext
as in campsite
a place where a group of people live for a short time in tents or cabins soldiers setting up a bivouac by the stream

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bivouac

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to tent
to live in a camp or the outdoors the army bivouacked for the night by the lake

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to house
to provide with living quarters or shelter survivors of the tornado were bivouacked in the church basement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bivouac
Noun
As fuel prices continue to climb toward record territory, Costco parking lots are looking more like Mad Max bivouacs than suburban warehouses. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 8 Apr. 2026 But after 24 hours on the mountain with little water, the men gave up, carved out a small platform and collapsed in the snow — an open bivouac in high wind at 11,200 feet. — Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
By the way, that's the building where thousands of the troops who will be marching in the parade will bivouac, sleeping on cots and bringing their own sleeping bags. — Susan Page, USA Today, 11 June 2025 On the sidewalks lay many of the homeless, an anonymous army bivouacked beneath blankets or balled up fetally, uncovered. — Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bivouac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bivouac
  1. campsite
  2. tent
  3. house
  4. campground
  5. encamp
  6. camp
  7. encampment
  8. shelter
Noun
  • It’s aimed at tasks like neatly cutting up deli meats and cheeses at your picnic or campsite.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
  • From shredding the slopes in the winter to floating on the water in the summer, the unofficial capital of the Sierra Nevada sees outdoorsy travelers constantly flocking to its campsites and cabins.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of campsite
Verb
  • Users can pitch the fly first, then use it as cover while pitching the inner tent, attach the fly and tent together and pitch them as one, or pitch the inner tent and then attach the fly.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling around edges, about 25 to 30 minutes, tenting with foil if needed.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
Definition of tent
Verb
  • Zygielbaum was surprised however that the DOJ reached out only to him, and not the Republican clerk in neighboring Weld County, which also houses a sizable portion of that same congressional district.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • By 2018, the F50 had reportedly been acquired by Chinese billionaire and Instagram influencer Shin Mike Yin, who houses his collection of rare exotics—including a few examples from Pagani and Bugatti—in Dusseldorf, Germany.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • Camping passes will include shuttles from the campground at Cal Expo and re-entry to the festival.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The campground is about a 15-mile drive from the Abram Falls trailhead, maps show.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of campground
Verb
  • It’s believed that everyone else died while encamped for the winter or while attempting to walk back to civilization.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
  • Part of Tennyson lived, was encamped, at the outer reaches of the psyche.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of encamp
Verb
  • Raman says that she is committed to ending homelessness, but the city has gone about it the wrong way and that no-camping zones just push the problem from one neighborhood to another.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • D’Amelio made her entrance early in the evening, posing with her cover before camping out in a cozy red booth next to the DJ stand.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of camp
Noun
  • But after Vucic conceded defeat Sunday evening, ecstatic young revelers filled the streets of Belgrade and ripped down the cordons around the encampment known as Caciland.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The ads are intended to promote the idea that Raman isn’t tough on homeless encampments, which Raman says misrepresents her position.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of encampment
Verb
  • Many local residents don’t realize how much money local governments have been spending to shelter, and provide services for, people experiencing homelessness.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The official cited the return of a senior Machado adviser who had previously spent an extended period sheltered in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas as an example of the political opening Washington wants to expand.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of shelter

Browse Nearby Words

bitty
bivouac
bivouacked
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Bivouac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bivouac. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All