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 Bloomberg’s moat is not its AI capabilities but the ability to feed high-quality financial intelligence into AI systems continuously. — Harsh Verma, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Most companies were incentivized to create defensive moats around their products once they were sold to prevent competition from replacing them. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026 Hundreds of British troops crisscrossed fields with thousands of metres of razor wire and dug a long ditch that was later partially filled with water to act as a moat to keep the Protestant marchers away from the Catholic enclave. — Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026 Its towering, mostly unbroken face and narrow swimming pool suggested a rampart and a moat, but behind the concrete exterior, Caland eliminated every door save the guest bathroom. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 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
  • About four hours later, her body was found in a ditch in a forest preserve southwest of Chicago.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The car then went off the road to the east, went into a ditch and struck a tree.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ditch
Noun
  • Sharp suits and smoking jackets came alongside cocoon shapes, functional hunting jackets, double-breasted trenches and generous winter coats, with longer lengths and full collars suggesting the urban style of the 1980s and ’90s.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Once summer’s squarely behind her, the royal wears a steady rotation of coat dresses, trenches, blazers, and every other type of outerwear under the sun.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of trench
Noun
  • In Colombia’s Ciénaga Grande, roads and dikes disrupted the flow of seawater and freshwater from the 1950s onward, contributing to one of the largest mangrove die-offs on record.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Chinese Nationalist forces breached the river’s dikes near Huayuankou to slow advancing Japanese troops.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of dike
Noun
  • Investigators noticed disturbed vegetation near a large culvert about 100 yards from the truck and sent in a sheriff's K-9.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Charles Rilli, representing the Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter, and Myriam Mendoza, representing the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, also voiced support for the Saturn Boulevard box culvert project.
    — Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of culvert
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Roy and Keeley have a very cute episode as a series of funny (well, not funny-ha-ha) things happen on the way to the Chelsea Legends induction ceremony for the former football star.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of ha-ha
Noun
  • On the way back, a vehicle in the convoy veered off the road and fell into a ravine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Six schoolboys were left dangling roughly 900 feet above a ravine after a cable snapped, setting off a high-stakes rescue that demanded nerves of steel.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • Officials urged displaced residents to check on their properties, clear gutters and remove debris before the rain arrives.
    — Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Rural roads lack curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and small farms with livestock are allowed and encouraged.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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