Thesaurus results for MOATS

moats

noun

plural of moat

as in ditches

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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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 moats 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 Keep defending your moats, and SaaS will remain well-positioned to protect its territories. — Srinivas Velamoor, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Ant moats are the most effective way of keeping ants out of the feeder if the ants don’t have an alternate route. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026 Supported by massive regulatory moats, long-term secular demand from GLP-1s and biologics and a clean balance sheet, West is exceptionally well-positioned to compound earnings and deliver strong returns over the long term. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moats

Noun

Hilly woods or swamps with lots of folds, ditches, and creeks are best for ground hunting.

— Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Those risks can include operating heavy mowing equipment and having to navigate roadside ditches.

— Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ditches

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
Oversized bombers and close-fitting cropped styles mingle with polished trenches, slouchy anoraks, and classic motos.

— Christina Holevas, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of trenches

Noun

Historical records indicate that dikes were deliberately breached during a military conflict, allowing the swollen Yellow River to inundate the city.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Like many inland dikes, the barrier in agricultural fields near the small town of Waddinxveen, east of The Hague, is made of peat that needs to be damp to be strong enough to hold back water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of dikes

Noun

This 150-acre Clayton County preserve sits near shopping centers and busy roads, but its trails wind through woodlands, ravines and ponds that feel worlds away from metro Atlanta.

— Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ravines

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“Moats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moats. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of moats

noun

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