sandcastle

noun

sand·​cas·​tle ˈsan(d)-ˌka-səl 

variants or sand castle

: a small model of a castle or other structure that is made with sand on a beach

Ruth lay beside Piet unhappily, not quite ready to bask and beautify herself like a teenager, yet too old for sandcastles.

—John Updike

"What you want is a change of air. We will pop down together hand in hand this week-end to some seaside resort. You shall build sand castles, while I lie on the beach and read the paper."

—P. G. Wodehouse

Examples of sandcastle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From pirate treasure hunts that send kids racing around the resort with maps and clues to a sandcastle concierge stocked with shovels, pails, and tools for building elaborate beach creations, the property makes family vacations feel surprisingly stress-free. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 12 June 2026

Even the basilica's sandcastle-like towers resemble the spirelike rock formations that every Catalan can identify as jutting from Montserrat. —ABC News, 9 June 2026

Its towers rise above the Eixample district like something pulled from a dream, a forest, a sandcastle and a cathedral all at once. —David Nikel, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

The beach felt quiet and exclusive, with sugar-soft sand and the occasional egret parading on by our sandcastle. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sandcastle

• castle
• facile
• gracile
• hassall
• hassle
• passel
• tassel
• vassal
• fluorouracil
• thiouracil
• forecastle
• uracil