HEDGES Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

hedges 1 of 2

noun

plural of hedge

as in fences

a physical object that blocks the way the messenger was confronted with a hedge of spears held aloft by the castle guards

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hedges

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hedge

as in weasels

to avoid giving a definite answer or position kept hedging whenever asked for an opinion on the matter

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in houses

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers the prison was hedged by a high stone wall

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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 hedges

Noun

Inside the property, police found three bullet holes in a wooden fence obscured by tall hedges. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026 Monnier said this was surprising given the potential of commodities, particularly oil and gasoline, as inflation hedges, but said that family offices might be outsourcing these investments to advisors. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026 Tall hedges help keep everything nicely hidden from prying eyes. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026 So Georgia fans took special delight in 2015 when their team hung 52 on Spurrier’s South Carolina team between the hedges, and a few weeks later Spurrier retired. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Ligustrum, or privet, is known primarily as a fast-growing shrub that is easily shapable into hedges and living privacy fences. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026 The grounds crew uses Japanese Okatsune shears, specially made for trimming hedges. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 Sep. 2026 The walls are cedar, the roofline is gabled, and boxwood hedges fence off terraces, putting it on a shortlist of quaint homes planted atop conventional New York buildings. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026 Privet is a fast-growing plant that’s often used in screens and hedges. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026 With a minimal, yet still impactful, pastel floral design, the rug hedges its saccharine design with ample negative space. — Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026 Neville hedges his bet by filling us in on Michaels’ spotlight apprehension, making his reticence a through line. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 Below the threshold, AI hedges your brand or ignores it. — Jason Barnard, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2026 Royal Caribbean, which hedges roughly 60% of its fuel costs, was less affected than Norwegian and Carnival. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026 Newsom hedges his bets by portraying the budget as a placeholder that covers little more than spending increases driven by law, inflation and caseload until more revenue data are received. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hedges

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

Verb

One&Only followed this with its villas winding up from the jetty to the central building at the peak, which houses the reception, boutique, and five distinctive dining options.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Whatever the case, the spaciousness continues next to the rear lounge/office area, where the dry bathroom houses a shower with discrete tub floor and sliding door, a toilet and a vanity sink.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of houses

Noun

The tomb’s entrance passage, with narrowing walls and descending axis, creates a liminal stage to orient the body before entering the burial chamber.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
Beyond the walls of the company’s London headquarters, which is filled with thousands of its plushy pink octopus mascots, Jackson’s empire may look like an unwieldy one.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of walls

Verb

Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.

— Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
In an industry that often confines its actors, especially women and especially Black women, Hall continues to carve a path defined by risk, depth and courage.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of confines

Noun

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

Definition of barriers

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