HEDGES Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

hedges 1 of 2

noun

plural of hedge

as in fences

a physical object that blocks the way the messenger was confronted with a hedge of spears held aloft by the castle guards

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hedges

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hedge

as in weasels

to avoid giving a definite answer or position kept hedging whenever asked for an opinion on the matter

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as in houses

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers the prison was hedged by a high stone wall

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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 hedges

Noun

Fences, hedges, noise machines, and relaxing music can all help. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026 Completed in 1916, the two-story Hollywood Hills home is tucked behind gates and tall hedges. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 28 Aug. 2026 The famous hedges were removed from Sanford Stadium for that occasion. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Platforms' latest offerings include perpetual futures contracts and hedges for certain risks, which experts said are ways for the platforms to appeal to Wall Street and identify as serious financial instruments. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026 The great diversity of forms available lend themselves to foundation plantings, edging and low hedges, as well as architectural accents and reliable container plantings. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 That plate went back and forth through the hedges between our houses for years. — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Boxwood shrubs are a great option for pristine hedges and natural privacy screens, elevating your landscaping with their bright green foliage and clean appearance. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026 Speaking of sculpture, boxwood hedges can be pristinely pruned for a polished look. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026

Verb

Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026 With a minimal, yet still impactful, pastel floral design, the rug hedges its saccharine design with ample negative space. — Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026 Neville hedges his bet by filling us in on Michaels’ spotlight apprehension, making his reticence a through line. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 Below the threshold, AI hedges your brand or ignores it. — Jason Barnard, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2026 Royal Caribbean, which hedges roughly 60% of its fuel costs, was less affected than Norwegian and Carnival. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026 Newsom hedges his bets by portraying the budget as a placeholder that covers little more than spending increases driven by law, inflation and caseload until more revenue data are received. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hedges

Noun

Just as good fences make good neighbors, good contracts make good partners.

— Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The creature, smaller than a house cat and uniquely round, appeared in social media users’ posts waddling across lawns, fences, and cables around the city.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fences

Verb

The exhibit, which professes to illustrate storytelling through art in its earliest manifestations, is a jarring introduction to a museum that houses 1,300 original works.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The corner site near the uber-affluent Sloane Square, in a building that also houses the British royal family’s go-to designer Emilia Wickstead, was selected to reach a concentrated local customer base.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of houses

Noun

The walls are finished in shiplap, while wooden beams round out the space, giving it a subtly cottage-like appearance.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Families covered hospital walls with posters showing missing relatives, photographs and contact numbers in a desperate appeal for any clue that could bring them home.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of walls

Verb

Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.

— Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
In an industry that often confines its actors, especially women and especially Black women, Hall continues to carve a path defined by risk, depth and courage.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of confines

Noun

Long-standing problems and new barriers are combining to make a career in dietetics less appealing and less financially feasible, just as the nation is increasing its appetite for nutrition in health care.

— Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Both mainly reduced trade barriers and committed all three governments to avoid policies that inhibited commercial flows with one another.

— Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of barriers

Noun

Farmers blocked the highways leading into the city while demonstrators erected barricades throughout Cochabamba, occupied the central plaza, and halted transportation and commerce.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance, KEYT reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026