piers

Definition of piersnext
plural of pier
1
as in docks
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers tied the boat up at the pier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in pilasters
an upright shaft that supports an overhead structure a bridge pier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 piers Anyone who’s seen 2021’s Riverside Main Library, an equally futuristic building elevated on piers, will recognize the Geffen as a distant cousin. David Allen, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026 Expensive stainless steel on the outer layer of rebar on the piers in the sea help prevent corrosion. New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026 Strong longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers into rip currents, piers, jetties and other hazardous areas. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 Apr. 2026 What thrilled Peter about the piers was the feeling of someone’s eyes on the back of the head, that unwashed smell. Andrew Durbin, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 But in 1982-83, when another super El Niño occurred, storms destroyed multiple piers and ripped away a 400-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Other piers in Pacifica and Avila Beach have been left closed or partially closed by storm damage in recent years. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 There are multiple fire pits for cozy winter nights, and fieldstone piers support a dining pergola. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2026 In 1903, a vicious winter storm reduced most of the piers to splinters, and by 1906 offshore oil production at Summerland had all but ceased. Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piers
Noun
  • Between damp docks, muddy trails, and the occasional drizzle, they were quickly soaked and scuffed.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Photos and videos of Chonkers hopping onto docks and perching among his smaller California sea lion friends have garnered thousands of views on social media.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In the end, Laffrey, whose Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, settled for using an iPhone app to record the size of pilasters and mullioned mirrors.
    Carey Purcell, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025
  • With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.
    Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Downriver from the Shoshone Falls are the Pillar Falls, a low waterfall split by rock pillars.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
  • As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
  • The canopy of rising columns that resemble a forest open above, which allows light to pour through and mimic sunlight filtering through leaves.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • When viewed from the ground outside the Lincoln Memorial, the arch’s two columns would create a frame around Arlington House.
    New York Times, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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