coast guard

noun

1
: a military or naval force employed in guarding a coast or responsible for the safety, order, and operation of maritime traffic in neighboring waters
2
usually coastguard chiefly British : coastguardsman

Examples of coast guard in a Sentence

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.
What To Know Using data provided by the Japanese coast guard, a Newsweek map shows where Chinese research vessels were spotted conducting activities in Japan's EEZ since May across the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea, which are marginal seas of the western Pacific. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 There is a lot of red—99 naval and coast guard vessels, to be precise, completely encircling Taiwan during PLA exercises last December. Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 In parallel, the Lai administration has also proposed an $18.1 billion special budget package, with $4.9 billion for national resilience supporting the coast guard’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities; disaster relief equipment; and the hardening of shelter facilities. Lin Fei-Fan, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2025 An incident between a Chinese navy vessel, left, and a Chinese coast guard ship Monday. Peter Guo, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coast guard

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coast guard was in 1833

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coast guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast%20guard. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

coast guard

noun
1
: a seagoing force for protecting a coast and people and property at sea
2
usually coastguard chiefly British : coastguardsman

More from Merriam-Webster on coast guard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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