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
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
About five second of Googling shows that Levin, about this time last year, responded to a boat landing in Carlsbad by calling for a vote on legislation to extend the enforcement zone off the coast.
—Sal Rodriguez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
As for the other British imports: Sunset is coasting along just fine in those musical revival categories.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 May 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
De Hoop Nature Reserve is located on the southwestern coast of South Africa, about a 150-mile drive southeast from Cape Town.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
About five second of Googling shows that Levin, about this time last year, responded to a boat landing in Carlsbad by calling for a vote on legislation to extend the enforcement zone off the coast.
—Sal Rodriguez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Verb
With less than two weeks to go before the Monaco Grand Prix, yachts will soon be coasting up the French Riviera.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
As for the other British imports: Sunset is coasting along just fine in those musical revival categories.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 May 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 18 May. 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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