inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet 

-lət

1

a

: a bay or recess in the shore of a sea, lake, or river

also : creek

b

: a narrow water passage between peninsulas or through a barrier island leading to a bay or lagoon

2

: a way of entering

especially : an opening for intake

Synonyms

• arm
• bay
• bight
• cove
• creek [chiefly British]
• embayment
• estuary
• firth
• fjord
• fiord
• gulf
• loch [Scottish]

Examples of inlet in a Sentence

The coast is dotted with tiny inlets.

went fishing in the quiet inlets of the coast

Recent Examples on the Web

When an inlet on Haugen's street fills, a trapdoor opens and dumps the contents into a 20-inch steel tube below the street. —Arkansas Online, 15 June 2025

On the sides, an additional inlet on the side strakes complements the enormously wide scoops that debuted on the Z06. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025

If your home is very wide and has only a few inlets, open windows located diagonally to each other have the longest possible straight path for air flow, thereby increasing the potential of air circulation across the whole room. —Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025

The inlet is located between Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island in Martin County. —David Chiu, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from its letting water in

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for inlet

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet 

-lət

1

: a small or narrow bay

2

: an opening for intake especially of fluids

Medical Definition

inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet, -lət 

: the upper opening of a bodily cavity

especially : that of the cavity of the true pelvis bounded by the pelvic brim