as in shelters
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger
the embassy serves as an asylum for that country's nationals in need of help
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Recent Examples of asylums
In the first half of the twentieth century, a new spirit of unchecked experimentation swept through the wards of the major asylums of America and Europe as doctors devised increasingly bizarre and sometimes cruel interventions with almost no legal oversight.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
For example, sociologist Erving Goffman showed that the way care is structured in asylums shaped how patients are treated.
—Jennifer Singh, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
Such a light as this should shine only on murders and public crime, or along the corridors of lunatic asylums.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Many former asylums are now macabre tourist attractions, whose treatment of their subject matter can range from the sensitive to the sensationalist.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
But worst of all is the knowledge that all of these terrors were trademarks of the asylums that stowed away those with mental health conditions well into the 20th century.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Both were institutionalized and died in asylums, her under mysterious circumstances, him at the age of 26.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
For example, sociologist Erving Goffman showed that the way care is structured in asylums shaped how patients are treated.
—Jennifer Singh, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
Such a light as this should shine only on murders and public crime, or along the corridors of lunatic asylums.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Many former asylums are now macabre tourist attractions, whose treatment of their subject matter can range from the sensitive to the sensationalist.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
But worst of all is the knowledge that all of these terrors were trademarks of the asylums that stowed away those with mental health conditions well into the 20th century.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Both were institutionalized and died in asylums, her under mysterious circumstances, him at the age of 26.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asylums
Noun
-
The new law will prevent the state from placing children in unlicensed homes like shelters, hotels or offices.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
When experienced and motivated staff can continue to work in the homeless response system, more people are placed into housing and spend less time in shelters.—
David Rich,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The park preserves not only the trees, but also one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Cemeteries, in particular, may serve as critical refuges for pollinators at a time when many natural habitats are disappearing.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The rush to secure sites near key transmission lines for battery energy storage systems, or BESS, has led developers to places like Acton, California, a bucolic Los Angeles County town of horse ranches and animal sanctuaries.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Guests stay among 86 casitas, cozy sanctuaries with vibrant Mexican textiles and terra cotta tile floors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mammoth bluffs followed by last-minute retreats only deepened perceptions of inconsistency, further eroding deterrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Dubious precautions Mounting interest in the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs has led to a rise in psychedelic retreats around the world.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Independent bookstores are magical havens for the next generation of readers—fostering a community that goes beyond the pages.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Iran, alongside Russia and China, has mastered sanctions evasion, using shadow fleets, alternative payment systems, and loosely regulated financial havens to move capital beyond Western oversight.—
Gaurav Srivastava,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Asylums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asylums. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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