asylums

noun

plural of asylum
as in shelters
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger the embassy serves as an asylum for that country's nationals in need of help

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 asylums Such a light as this should shine only on murders and public crime, or along the corridors of lunatic asylums. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 Conditions varied, but some asylums gained reputations as brutal, overcrowded warehouses where patients were neglected and restrained. — ABC News, 24 May 2026 For example, sociologist Erving Goffman showed that the way care is structured in asylums shaped how patients are treated. — Jennifer Singh, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026 Many former asylums are now macabre tourist attractions, whose treatment of their subject matter can range from the sensitive to the sensationalist. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025 But worst of all is the knowledge that all of these terrors were trademarks of the asylums that stowed away those with mental health conditions well into the 20th century. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asylums
  1. shelters
  2. refuges
  3. sanctuaries
  4. retreats
  5. havens
Noun
  • The battery is designed for military vehicles, deployable tactical power systems, mobile command posts, tactical shelters and deployable weapon systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Evacuation shelters for both fires have been opened at the Carmel Mission Inn and Cambria Veterans Memorial Hall.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of shelters
Noun
  • Such spaces create temporary refuges from the digital stream, and allow habits of slowness, concentration, and absorption to become socially reinforced.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Two mountain refuges sit high on the plateau, giving hikers the option to spend the night surrounded by Olympus' alpine scenery.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuges
Noun
  • Not all portions of Grand Traverse County are open to deer hunting and some whitetails are able to grow old in those sanctuaries.
    — Richard P. Smith, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The waterfront suites with private verandahs and two-bedroom plunge pool villas are special sanctuaries.
    — Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of sanctuaries
Noun
  • Every season sends viewers racing to book the real-life properties featured on screen, turning secluded retreats into viral bucket-list stops overnight.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Diane Weyermann Fellowshipprovides $100,000 in unrestricted funding for each project, as well as two creative retreats.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreats
Noun
  • Past its glory days, the street adopted a grimier reputation, with crime and dangerous drivers, but there was a vision to transform it into something resembling Magnolia Avenue, or one of south Fort Worth’s pedestrian havens.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But Beijing’s recent push into high-value manufacturing poses a direct threat to those countries’ economic strategies, setting the stage for a wave of protectionism even in traditional havens of free trade.
    — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of havens

Browse Nearby Words

asylum
asylums
asymmetrical
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Cite this Entry

“Asylums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asylums. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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