SAND(S) Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

sands 1 of 2

noun

plural of sand

as in beach

the usually sandy or gravelly land bordering a body of water we went for a moonlight walk on the sands

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sands

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sand

as in rubs

to make smooth by friction painstakingly sanded down the wooden floors of the old house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sands

Noun

Contrast that with Canada, where oil sands are produced at a rate below one percent a year. — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The deaths occur in the shadows of the area’s thriving tourism industry for foreigners and locals along the Indian Ocean’s white sands. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 The syringes and paraphernalia were discovered littered across the sands of Manasquan Beach in Manasquan, along the Jersey Shore, on Saturday. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Take a catamaran to the nearby Pearl Islands or head further down the Caribbean coast to the crystal-clear waters and white sands of the San Blas Islands, still home to Indigenous communities who call the islands Guna Yala. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026 Next to the lodging is a great cool-out restaurant right on the sands of the beach in Leon’s. — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 8 Aug. 2026 After more than a decade hugging the sands of Laguna Beach, Driftwood Kitchen and The Deck will close its doors this year. — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 27 July 2026 The festival will take place on the sands of Santa Monica Beach, marking the first major music festival on the iconic coastline. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026 Take a ferry to Balos Lagoon and wade in its shallow waters, or explore Falassarna’s pink-flecked sands. — Skyli Alvarez, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Verb

Thorn cuts the pieces for his puzzle-style artworks, sands them, paints them, then glues them into a frame. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 Sawdust sprays as Matt Sams meticulously sands the edges of a balcony railing that will soon be affixed to the front of a house. — Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026 Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk. — Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sands

Noun

Thankfully, there is a fleet of golf carts available to whisk you up from the beach to your room, making this more accessible for travelers with low mobility.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Federal and local officials are investigating after a banner plane crashed into the water off a popular Florida beach on Thursday morning.

— Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of beach

Verb

Achord stands behind Smack each time and, before one kick, rubs his belly with his other hand over his head as some sort of signal.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
But during the following two years, Van Lith saw only gigantic tracks and adrenaline-inspiring antler rubs that had been left behind by the buck of his dreams.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubs

Verb

Today, four of the 12 largest online sellers to American consumers -- Temu, SHEIN, TikTok Shop and AliExpress -- appear nowhere in NRF's Top 100, because none of them files with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a US retailer.

— Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The beloved character files a claim that the Acme corporation — the fictional company that sells the faulty products prominently seen in Looney Tunes cartoons — is purposefully selling bad products to Coyote in his efforts to catch Roadrunner.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of files

Verb

While a classic button-down shirt is always timeless, a peplum top offers the same wearability with a waist-defining silhouette that instantly polishes any bottom they’re paired with.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
The PowerPaste polishes and protects more delicate surfaces, while the Tangerine Clean is more abrasive for serious scrubbing.

— Brittany VanDerBill, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

Definition of polishes

Verb

Finance ministers and central bank officials of G20 countries convene in Asheville, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday as the US-Iran war grinds into its sixth month, raising inflation expectations and keeping energy prices elevated.

— Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
As Poles grinds through his Sunday, The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer offer this roster projection.

— Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of grinds

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sandpapery

sands

sandstorm

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“Sands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sands. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sands

noun

verb

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