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
Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This exact scenario happened to my friend off the coast of Dominica.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025
Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Ramirez closed the fight in style and coasted to a victory on my card.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for coast
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Though not particularly close to each other—Bali is a province within Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, while Sri Lanka is an independent nation off the coast of India—the two destinations are both renowned for their lush landscapes, with plenty of hiking opportunities found across both islands.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This exact scenario happened to my friend off the coast of Dominica.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025
Verb
In the second half of this season, things have been more of a struggle, even as Chelsea have coasted to an unbeaten league title.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Ramirez closed the fight in style and coasted to a victory on my card.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 June 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 5 Jul. 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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