1
: the land near a shore : seashore
3
a
: a hill or slope suited to coasting
b
: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)
4
often capitalized
: the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
—used in the phrase the coast is clear
coasted; coasting; coasts
1
obsolete
: to move along or past the side of : skirt
2
: to sail along the shore of
1
a
archaic
: to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something
b
: to sail along the shore
2
a
: to slide, run, or glide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along without or as if without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)
c
: to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern
coasted through school
—often used with ona company coasting on its good reputation
Synonyms
Examples of coast in a Sentence
Noun
He lives on the coast.
He's flying out to the Coast tomorrow.
Verb
The car coasted to a stop.
The airplane coasted down the runway.
The children coasted on sleds down the snowy hill.
They came coasting down the hill on bicycles.
After taking a big lead, the team coasted to victory.
He was accused of trying to coast through school.
She decided she could coast along without a job for the next few months.
The company is coasting on its good reputation.
Recent Examples on the Web
George Petras, USA TODAY, 13 July 2024
Given that Friday Harbor lies miles off the coast in the rugged San Juan Islands, driving here is arguably harder than arriving by any other means.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2024
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 10 July 2024
The lifelong Riverside County Republican largely coasted to reelection in a safely conservative district, eventually becoming one of the most senior members of the California House delegation.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast 
Noun
The wreck was discovered Sept. 1, 1985, about 400 miles from the coast of Newfoundland at a depth of about 12,500 feet.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 13 July 2024
Given that Friday Harbor lies miles off the coast in the rugged San Juan Islands, driving here is arguably harder than arriving by any other means.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2024
Verb
The upper stage coasted halfway around the world before briefly reigniting the Vinci engine to circularize its orbit at an altitude roughly 360 miles (580 kilometers) and an inclination of 62 degrees to the equator.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 10 July 2024
The lifelong Riverside County Republican largely coasted to reelection in a safely conservative district, eventually becoming one of the most senior members of the California House delegation.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coast
2 of 2 verb1
: to sail along the shore of
2
a
: to slide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along (as on a bicycle when not pedaling) without applying power
3
: to succeed without special effort
coasted through school
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