Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

air-raid shelter

American  

noun

  1. an indoor or other protected area specifically designated as a shelter during an air raid.


Etymology

Origin of air-raid shelter

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

When surveyors for a much delayed $12 billion road project under the River Thames scoured for bats, they found six in an abandoned World War II air-raid shelter.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 12, 2025

Harmony Wu, 18, was surprised to learn that an underground shopping concourse where she and other youngsters were recently rehearsing some dance moves would be turned into an air-raid shelter in the event of war.

From Reuters Aug. 2, 2022

Both parents were Irish immigrants and his family later settled in Heston, in west London, where he spent his early years in an air-raid shelter during the Blitz.

From Washington Post Nov. 17, 2019

This was built before the war as an air-raid shelter for parliamentarians, and was used possibly as an office or for storage by the Germans.

From BBC Sep. 5, 2019

We had an air-raid shelter installed in our house.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training