beach

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of beach
1
: shore pebbles : shingle
2
a
: a shore of a body of water covered by sand, gravel, or larger rock fragments
b
: a seashore area

beach

2 of 2

verb

beached; beaching; beaches

transitive verb

1
: to run or drive ashore
beaching the landing craft in the assault
The storm damaged and beached half the fleet.
2
: to strand on or as if on a beach
a beached shark

Examples of beach in a Sentence

Noun We spent the day at the beach. she loves walking along the beach, looking for shells that the waves cast up Verb The pirates beached the ship on the island.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The guests keep coming; the sea, beaches, cafes, and tourist infrastructure are working. Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 The beach is part of Half Moon Bay State Beach. Jason Green, Mercury News, 26 June 2026
Verb
Plum Island beaches in Newburyport, Massachusetts are closed after 60,000 gallons of wastewater were accidentally dumped into the Merrimack River on Thursday. Neal Riley, CBS News, 26 June 2026 The sandy point, swept by a breeze most of the time, was ideal for beaching the canoes. Marc Terziev, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beach

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

verbal derivative of beach entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beach was circa 1552

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beach. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

beach

1 of 2 noun
: a sandy or gravelly part of the shore of a body of water

beach

2 of 2 verb
: to run or drive ashore
beach a boat

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