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
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
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
These ships would plan to navigate further west to ports in Central America and along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, including Costa Maya and Cozumel, or extend time in the Bahamas.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
No one covered Johnson, who coasted in for an easy score.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coast
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Noun
According to the New York Times, the Category 5 hurricane is expected to make landfall later today, Tuesday, October 28, with authorities warning of torrential rain, severe flooding and storm surges reaching up to 13 feet along the island’s southern coast.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
These ships would plan to navigate further west to ports in Central America and along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, including Costa Maya and Cozumel, or extend time in the Bahamas.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Audrey Laws buried the first two goals of her varsity career, as Pembroke coasted to a 3-0 win over Plymouth North in the Patriot League.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
No one covered Johnson, who coasted in for an easy score.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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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