barriers

noun

plural of barrier
as in fences
a physical object that blocks the way there was a big barrier plastered with signs saying "Keep Out" around the trash compactor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barriers The system enables robots to choose different ways of passing through tight spaces, including stepping over objects, ducking under barriers, and turning sideways to fit through narrow gaps. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 Among the chief concerns for many stakeholders are the barriers to entry. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 The city's immediate priorities include assessing structural damage, making emergency repairs, restoring the protective barriers, and advancing major beach replenishment work. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 The state is pre-positioning more than 4 million sandbags, more than 50,000 feet of portable flood barriers and 400,000 tons of rock to repair levees. — Adrian Florido, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 This can build walls of water -- potentially as tall as 20 feet or more -- which can quickly overpower barriers and flood homes. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Intocable, Grupo Pesado and Salomón Robles are artists who marked an era, breaking barriers by modernizing what legendary norteño artists like Los Invasores de Nuevo León, Los Cadetes de Linares and Los Tigres del Norte had done. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026 All suites on the second floor come without steps and barriers (and spacious bathrooms but not specifically adapted with accessibility features). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 Compliance checks would ensure trading entities maintain informational barriers with their sibling exchange, including the use of separate physical offices. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barriers
  1. fences
  2. walls
  3. barricades
  4. obstacles
Noun
  • Good fences might make good neighbors, as the old saying goes, but would a silk fence make a good fence?
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Renderings introducing the project never showed the walls and fences that now cover the plaza’s perimeter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fences
Noun
  • The aerospace company, led by Elon Musk, struck a deal to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum that will advance Starlink’s wireless capabilities by enabling the signal to pass through walls and other obstacles.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This can build walls of water -- potentially as tall as 20 feet or more -- which can quickly overpower barriers and flood homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of walls
Noun
  • Public Works is preparing for 24-hour operations, monitoring low-water crossings, dams, roadways, debris and traffic signals while staging barricades for potential road closures.
    — Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There are plenty of barricades built with the explicit goal of keeping certain types of artists from access ing those rooms.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of barricades
Noun
  • Getting a diagnosis, navigating treatment and paying for care can present obstacles of their own, particularly for patients who face gaps in access to healthcare.
    — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Those are big potential obstacles to Hill returning to the Chiefs.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of obstacles

Browse Nearby Words

barrier reefs
barriers
barring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barriers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barriers. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All