1
obsolete
: sand
2
a
: loose rounded fragments of rock
b
: a stratum or deposit of gravel
also
: a surface covered with gravel
a gravel road
3
: small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder
: gravelly sense 2
—used of the human voice
Examples of gravel in a Sentence
Verb
managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples
Adjective
after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Graham Averill, Outside, 20 Mar. 2026
The company said work at Galeton Elementary School included extensive cleaning of the interior, exterior, playground equipment and the removal of gravel and mulch.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
Libby Cierzniak, IndyStar, 13 Mar. 2026
The terrain is non-technical but rolling—much of it gravel or forest boardwalks—with cool, thin air at elevation.
—Alexandra Gillespie, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
Erin Gifford, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025
According to Meyer, gravel distribution is a part of the district's work in preventing levee slides, a slope failure along a levee usually caused by heavy rain.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gravel
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.
Noun
If your truck regularly hauls gravel, dirt, or furniture, the drawers eat up a lot of bed volume.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 20 Mar. 2026
The company said work at Galeton Elementary School included extensive cleaning of the interior, exterior, playground equipment and the removal of gravel and mulch.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
City streets saw no significant improvement until the 1850s, when many routes were graveled.
—Libby Cierzniak, IndyStar, 13 Mar. 2026
The terrain is non-technical but rolling—much of it gravel or forest boardwalks—with cool, thin air at elevation.
—Alexandra Gillespie, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Starting on Burlington’s waterfront, this 13-mile route traces the shoreline before funneling riders onto the Colchester Causeway, a narrow, gravel path that stretches across Lake Champlain.
—Erin Gifford, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025
According to Meyer, gravel distribution is a part of the district's work in preventing levee slides, a slope failure along a levee usually caused by heavy rain.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gravel
Cite this Entry
“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gravel
1 of 3 noun
grav·el
ˈgrav-əl 
: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand
gravel
2 of 3 adjectivegravel
3 of 3 verb
graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling
ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ
: to cover or spread with gravel
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
