barrier island
noun
: a long broad sandy island lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds and that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean
Examples of barrier island in a Sentence
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The 85-mile stretch of coastline and barrier islands reaches from Cape Lookout to the mouth of the New River.
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Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Their takeaway is that the underground dynamics of a barrier island like Sunny Isles and the underlying limestone of South Florida, particularly under the pressure of massive buildings, are complex, poorly understood and largely unresearched.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
Connecting the barrier island of Longboat Key to Sarasota and Florida’s mainland, the drawbridge serves as a portal into another world.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2025
Cape Hatteras is a part of a chain of barrier islands off the east coast of North Carolina.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025
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Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Their takeaway is that the underground dynamics of a barrier island like Sunny Isles and the underlying limestone of South Florida, particularly under the pressure of massive buildings, are complex, poorly understood and largely unresearched.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
Connecting the barrier island of Longboat Key to Sarasota and Florida’s mainland, the drawbridge serves as a portal into another world.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2025
Cape Hatteras is a part of a chain of barrier islands off the east coast of North Carolina.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barrier island
Cite this Entry
“Barrier island.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrier%20island. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
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