barbed wire
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of barbed wire
First recorded in 1860–65
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How does barbed-wire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
A stone's throw from the barbed wire and minefields that separate the two Koreas, thousands gathered for a music festival this weekend to sing about peace in a place synonymous with conflict.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
There had been unrest at the location during an initial protest in late May against preparatory onsite work during installation of barbed wire to cordon off the area.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
His custom designs range variously include the Miesha name, a half-lady ghost-butterfly, splattered imagery, quotes in cursive and barbed wire lettering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
The group - consisting of about eight to ten tourists - reached the ground and made their way to the edge of the site, which was surrounded by a barbed wire fence.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
We marched along a path between twisted rolls of barbed wire and through a wide gate into a compound of low tin-roofed barracks.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
