Illustration of sandpiper
sandpiper
noun
sand·pip·er
ˈsan(d)-ˌpī-pər 
: any of various small shorebirds (family Scolopacidae, the sandpiper family) distinguished from the related plovers chiefly by the longer and soft-tipped bill
Examples of sandpiper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples of birds with this wing type are ducks, falcons, swifts and sandpipers.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Without golf balls whizzing overhead, the land has become habitat for migratory shorebirds, among them black-necked stilts, greater yellowlegs and sandpipers, and has even drawn the secretive American bittern.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Compared with these sandpipers, antechinus might seem relatively well-rested.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
And that extra activity appears to pay off: the sandpipers that sleep the least sire the most offspring.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
The sandpipers had already migrated, and the laughing gulls were long gone.
—Latria Graham, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
In addition to being costly, coastal erosion associated with floods and storm surges threatens the habitat of shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers, as well as nesting turtles like the diamondback terrapin.
—Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023
Bragging Rights Despite only weighing the equivalent of four nickels, the plucky western sandpiper migrates thousands of miles between Alaska and South America.
—Alexandra Marvar, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023
Five bank swallows were tallied at Rumney Marsh in Revere, and a pectoral sandpiper was observed at Belle Isle in East Boston.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Without golf balls whizzing overhead, the land has become habitat for migratory shorebirds, among them black-necked stilts, greater yellowlegs and sandpipers, and has even drawn the secretive American bittern.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Compared with these sandpipers, antechinus might seem relatively well-rested.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
And that extra activity appears to pay off: the sandpipers that sleep the least sire the most offspring.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024
The sandpipers had already migrated, and the laughing gulls were long gone.
—Latria Graham, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
In addition to being costly, coastal erosion associated with floods and storm surges threatens the habitat of shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers, as well as nesting turtles like the diamondback terrapin.
—Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023
Bragging Rights Despite only weighing the equivalent of four nickels, the plucky western sandpiper migrates thousands of miles between Alaska and South America.
—Alexandra Marvar, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023
Five bank swallows were tallied at Rumney Marsh in Revere, and a pectoral sandpiper was observed at Belle Isle in East Boston.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sandpiper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sandpiper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandpiper. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sandpiper
noun
sand·pip·er
-ˌpī-pər
: any of numerous small shorebirds with usually long bills and legs
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