shoal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈshōl How to pronounce shoal (audio)
Definition of shoalnext
as in shallow
lacking significant physical depth shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shoal

2 of 2

noun

as in bank
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow the shoals off Nantucket Island are famous as the final resting places of many ill-fated ships

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 shoal
Noun
The Philippine coast guard, however, said the two fishing vessels were harassed while bringing fuel aid to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough shoal. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the encounter occurred near the BRP Sierra Madre, the warship Manila grounded on the shoal almost 30 years ago to anchor its claim. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Proud papa Luke showed off Tate’s first shoal bass catch during their father-son fishing trip. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 The assumption is that Lohar will either abandon pursuit or accidentally run the Bitchfist aground on the toothy shoals. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
  1. shallow
  2. bank
Adjective
  • At the southern end of the Everglades, where marshes and coastal wetlands are most starved for freshwater, peat has started to collapse, ripping open the shallow sawgrass marshes to leave behind deeper pits of open water.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The small airplane crashed into the Seldovia Slough, a shallow waterway off Seldovia, a city of about 235 residents on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shallow
Noun
  • Instead, detectives say the group used falsified invoices and documents and transferred cash into personal bank accounts.
    — Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Pioneers Hancock and Willis Lee began making whiskey along the banks of the Kentucky River, where Buffalo Trace stands today.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of bank

Browse Nearby Words

shivs
shoal
shoals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shoal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shoal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All