fens

noun

plural of fen
as in marshes
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water a day spent trudging through the fens in quest of game birds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 fens 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 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 fens
  1. marshes
  2. wetlands
  3. swamps
Noun
  • Fire is part of the Everglades ecology — wildfire season coincides with the end of spring when stormy-weather lightning strikes ignite marshes still dry from winter.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But in the swamps and marshes, oaks are isolated on the islands.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of marshes
Noun
  • At the southern end of the Everglades, where marshes and coastal wetlands are most starved for freshwater, peat has started to collapse, ripping open the shallow sawgrass marshes to leave behind deeper pits of open water.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There are also wetlands, woodlands, savannahs, and mountain bush.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of wetlands
Noun
  • They can also be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, scrub brush, swamps and deserts.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But in the swamps and marshes, oaks are isolated on the islands.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamps

Browse Nearby Words

fends (off)
fens
feral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fens. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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