Thesaurus results for SANCTUARY

sanctuary

noun

ˈsaŋ(k)-chə-ˌwer-ē

Definition of sanctuary

as in shrine

a place that is considered sacred (as within a religion) by law, anyone who sought refuge in a religious sanctuary was safe from arrest by the civil authorities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in refuge

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger the marshland has been set aside as a sanctuary for shorebirds along that section of the coast

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 sanctuary The church in the short term will act as the landlord to the building’s current roster of office tenants, but eventually plans to transform it into a 2,500-seat sanctuary. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Asked why Project Survival’s Cat Haven doesn’t simply exterminate local rattlesnakes, Anderson explained that eradication is neither practical nor consistent with the sanctuary’s mission. — Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026 After all, the class was her sanctuary through a breakup, during feelings of inadequacy and when she was frustrated with work. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sanctuary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctuary

Noun

Some temples may also have shrines dedicated to indigenous gods or spirits of the land.

— Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
Macombs Dam Park was originally intended to serve as a shrine to the team’s history.

— Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of shrine

Noun

Following the advice of food bloggers and influencers, overzealous visitors have thronged a rifugio (refuge) in Italy’s Val di Fassa valley, all because of this traditional pastry.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
As more than 50 others sought refuge in L’Arche de la Nouvelle Alliance, a Protestant church that had been sheltering people already displaced by the violence, the gunmen pursued them.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of refuge

Noun

If their new Craftsman-style house seems overlarge for two, with plenty of shelter-mag built-ins, well, Tom is a successful crime novelist and there’s also a leaky attic and a creepy, warrenlike basement to be dealt with.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Part one, released this month, only deals with raising homes and floodproofing important community buildings like evacuation shelters and police stations.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of shelter

Noun

There is a lot riding on Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s speech here Friday morning at the Fed’s storied annual retreat in the Tetons.

— Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
Warsh, despite his arrival as a disruptor of Fed protocol, embraced that summer-retreat spirit.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of retreat

Browse Nearby Words

sanctuaries

sanctuary

sanctum

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“Sanctuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctuary. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sanctuary

noun

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