wharves

noun

variants also wharfs
plural of wharf
as in docks
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers tied the rowboat up at the wharf

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 wharves But in 1820, Shippingport had about 600 residents, three wharves for steamboats, taverns and a flour mill. — Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Aug. 2026 The redevelopment would change that by extending and upgrading existing wharves and dredging areas around the docks. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Shaking from a quake could damage wharves, piers, buildings and roadway above the seawall. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Vanuatu has received large loans and aid from China for buildings, wharves and other infrastructure. — ABC News, 29 June 2026 In San Isidro, a movement was born Castillo and Otero grew up in San Isidro, a working class, hardscrabble neighborhood abutting the wharfs near the Port of Havana, and became friends – one a rapper, the other a visual artist. — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026 The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely. — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026 Maybe wind your way around the neighborhood’s old wharfs and small brick houses; or lock up your bike and check out an exhibition at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, then grab lunch at the kitschy crab shack Brooklyn Crab. — Francesca Carington, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2024 His plantations spanned nearly 7,000 acres near the Cooper River, which led to Charleston’s bustling wharves and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. — Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 16 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wharves
  1. docks
  2. piers
  3. quays
Noun
  • The charter captain docks at Haulover with a full booking calendar and a healthy business account.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There will always be a spotlight for the Hollywood contingent and the awards hopefuls posing on boats and docks in designer duds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of docks
Noun
  • The previous record-strong El Niño in modern times, in 1982-83, coincided with significant damage across the coastline, wrecking the piers in Santa Monica and Seal Beach.
    — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After years of analysis, Caltrans has decided to weave strong micropiles into the 499 aging piles that now support the bridge’s piers, said Allan Kosup, chief deputy director of Caltrans District 11 in San Diego and Imperial counties.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of piers
Noun
  • Wine is embedded in the city’s architecture, history and daily life, from grand 18th-century façades to the bustling quays of the Garonne.
    — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.
    — Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025
Definition of quays

Browse Nearby Words

wharfages
wharves
what
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All