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
Recent Examples on the Web
In their natural state, barrier islands are ephemeral.
—
Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
The 8-mile-long barrier island is known for its calm Gulf waters, dolphin sightings, and more.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 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
Even without climate change, the Outer Banks—a nearly two-hundred-mile stretch of barrier islands between the mainland and the Atlantic, running from just north of Roanoke Island, where the British first settled in 1585, down the North Carolina coast—are precarious.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2025
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Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
The 8-mile-long barrier island is known for its calm Gulf waters, dolphin sightings, and more.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 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
Even without climate change, the Outer Banks—a nearly two-hundred-mile stretch of barrier islands between the mainland and the Atlantic, running from just north of Roanoke Island, where the British first settled in 1585, down the North Carolina coast—are precarious.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 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 22 Dec. 2025.
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