coast

noun

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\ ˈkōst

Definition of coast

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the land near a shore : seashore

2 obsolete : border, frontier

3a : 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

from coast to coast

: across an entire nation or continent

coast

verb

coasted; coasting; coasts

Definition of coast (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : to move along or past the side of : skirt

2 : to sail along the shore of

intransitive verb

1a archaic : to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something

b : to sail along the shore

2a : 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 on a company coasting on its good reputation

Other Words from coast Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About coast

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Synonyms & Antonyms for coast

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

flounder,
struggle

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: Noun Virgin Voyages' first ship setting sail in US after 18 month delay amid COVID-19 The Majestic Princess will sail from Los Angeles for a weeklong California coast voyage that will include an overnight stop in San Francisco. — Olga R. Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2021 The oil spill that fouled the coast threatened the snowy plover at a time when experts were hopeful that the species was making a comeback. — Robin Estrin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2021 There is so much more to the Ligurian coast, though. — Lilly Graves, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2021 An area of low pressure along the mid-Atlantic coast will cause a northeasterly flow across the region on Sunday resulting in cloudy skies and the chance for a couple of showers and areas of drizzle, especially during the afternoon hours. — courant.com, 9 Oct. 2021 Federico plans to spread her ashes in the Caribbean Sea, off Colombia’s northern coast. — Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2021 The cause of the spill is under investigation by numerous agencies as the cleanup continues along miles of shoreline on the Orange County coast south of the sister ports. — Fox News, 8 Oct. 2021 Lingering light rain could clip the northern Oregon coast early Saturday morning, but most of the western part of the state should be dry. — oregonlive, 8 Oct. 2021 The cause of the spill is under investigation by numerous agencies as the cleanup continues along miles of shoreline on the Orange County coast south of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. — Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb That doesn’t mean these brands can coast on their good name. — Eric J. Lyman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2021 Newsom used a powerful pair of somewhat related fears -- of pandemic backsliding, and one of a potential win for Trumpism -- to coast to victory. — Rick Klein, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2021 For example, Wu’s job is to basically coast to her spot, but former city economic development chief John Barros, in fifth place in polling, may need to throw a hail mary. — BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2021 That's been a nice change of pace from recent seasons, where many players would be too scared to pull the trigger, allowing those big threats to coast to the end of the game. — Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2021 The layered season is typically not a problem in deep lakes where the cold layer is so vast that there is plenty of oxygen within it for the fish and other aquatic life to coast through the summer. — jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2021 Jones estimates that, barring an unforeseen upset like another grid failure, Abbott will coast through the primary election in March 2022 with relative ease. — Raga Justin, Dallas News, 19 Aug. 2021 In other games, Eagle River scored six times in the fourth inning to coast past Chugiak 10-3 and Ketchikan tripped Palmer 9-3. — Anchorage Daily News, 25 July 2021 Ivy League schools coast off their selective undergraduate programs, which earn the schools top spots on the U.S. News & World Report college rankings. — Preston Cooper, National Review, 13 July 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coast.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.