sandbar

noun

sand·​bar ˈsan(d)-ˌbär How to pronounce sandbar (audio)
: a ridge of sand built up by currents especially in a river or in coastal waters

Examples of sandbar in a Sentence

We walked out onto the sandbar at low tide.
Recent Examples on the Web Intended to help navigate the shallow waters of Western rivers, and possibly inspired by Lincoln’s own experience getting stuck on a sandbar on a journey back to Illinois, the design was never manufactured. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 The City of Venice said the whale is located on a sandbar about 50 yards out from Service Club Park. Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 As the spoonbills prance on sandbars, a reddish egret performs a vaudeville-style dance to stir up fish. Robin Soslow, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Over the last few decades, China has built up tiny reefs and sandbars far from its shores across the waterway into artificial islands heavily fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems – sparking outcry from the other claimants. Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 At low tide, people at the beach can walk quite far into the ocean and meander along exposed sandbars. USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 Nigeria created a sculpted sandbar in a suburb of Lagos in 2018, and the United Kingdom built a shifting sand barrier to protect a natural gas terminal in the coastal town of Bacton the following year. Jake Bittle, WIRED, 10 Feb. 2024 The resort features a private beach and a water sports center with a swim platform on the edge of a sandbar near coral reefs to take full advantage of Bermuda’s natural wonders. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2023 From uninhabited volcanic landscapes teeming with wildlife to powder-soft sandbar escapes, each one is unique. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sandbar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandbar was in 1766

Dictionary Entries Near sandbar

Cite this Entry

“Sandbar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandbar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sandbar

noun
sand·​bar -ˌbär How to pronounce sandbar (audio)
: a ridge of sand formed in water by tides or currents

More from Merriam-Webster on sandbar

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