1
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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2

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 Whether courts will recognize offering sanctuary as a First Amendment right is yet to be seen. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025 He was released in the wild about eight weeks later, but was unable to catch prey for himself — often scavenging for food, such as fried chicken from a boat dock in Indiana and bacon from a family’s backyard in Michigan, according to the sanctuary. Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025 That's if Dunkel agrees to the let the groundhog and his family live out the rest of their days at a reputable sanctuary. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025 Loading your audio article RICHMOND — Burnt Ramen, an underground venue that served as a sanctuary for East Bay punks and metalheads, recently went up in flames, a poetic ending for a venue shuttered following the Ghost Ship fire of 2016. Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for sanctuary 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctuary
Noun
  • The coveted shrine released the list of nominees for 2025’s commemoration, stacked with icons who have been nominated in previous years and first-timers alike.
    Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Thomas, 28, is in no rush to build any sort of living-room shrine to her athletic accomplishments.
    Sean Gregory, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • On Tuesday night, 356 people sought refuge in these shelters.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Eventually, Ben stumbled upon a small cave — presumably the very hideout where Javi sought refuge after the terrifying Doomcoming hunt.
    Michaela Zee, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • In Denver, where temperatures are expected to dip as low as 14 degrees (minus 10 degrees Celsius) over the weekend, the city has extended its cold weather shelters for those living on the streets.
    CBS News, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2025
  • At least two places to find shelter, like a rock pile, dense shrubs, brush, or a log pile.
    Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values: values shared with the United States of America.
    Zachary Basu, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The Red Sox carried a top-five payroll from 2004 to ’20, but in recent years went into retreat.
    Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sanctuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctuary. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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