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 Coast
: the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
—used in the phrase the coast is clear
see also:
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
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Yet this 100-mile stretch of shoreline along Georgia’s southeastern coast offers more than 200 days of sunshine, beautiful maritime forests, and plenty of charm.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
While veteran politicians typically coast to reelection, this year's midterms show cracks in the longtime dynamics.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Saudi Arabia is diverting tankers to its southern Red Sea coast, while Oman’s key export terminal was evacuated over safety concerns, disrupting exports, and two tankers were hit in Iraqi waters.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Yet this 100-mile stretch of shoreline along Georgia’s southeastern coast offers more than 200 days of sunshine, beautiful maritime forests, and plenty of charm.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Huskies scored 57 points in the first half, prompted 19 turnovers, and this was basically coasting through the second half.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
While veteran politicians typically coast to reelection, this year's midterms show cracks in the longtime dynamics.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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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