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
Chase Jordan
february 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Dump the remaining gravel through a sluice box to remove lighter sand and small rocks, which filter into a gold pan.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Pourable materials like mulch or gravel are the easiest to lay in a garden path, however, gravel or crushed rocks will offer a more formal look than mulch.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 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
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Noun
Earlier this week, a dozen Waymo white Jaguars were spotted in a gravel lot near Bank of America Stadium in uptown.
—Chase Jordan
february 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Dump the remaining gravel through a sluice box to remove lighter sand and small rocks, which filter into a gold pan.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Instead of decorative mulch that requires refreshing, Bigham has been incorporating river rock or gravel into flower beds.
—Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Pourable materials like mulch or gravel are the easiest to lay in a garden path, however, gravel or crushed rocks will offer a more formal look than mulch.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 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 5 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
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