shoaled; shoaling; shoals
: to become shallow
1
: to come to a shallow or less deep part of
2
: to cause to become shallow or less deep
Synonyms
Examples of shoal in a Sentence
Adjective
shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore
Recent Examples on the Web
William Booth, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
At this point, the heat may be mixed back up to the surface by a combination of shoaling currents, upwelling and turbulent mixing.
—Noel Gutiérrez Brizuela, The Conversation, 20 June 2023
Emily Feng, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
In the 1990s, the Philippines grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship on the shoal, to help enforce its claim to the area.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The shoal, occupied by Philippine navy personnel since the late 1990s, has recently become the backdrop for an increasingly tense territorial standoff with the Chinese coast guard.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2024
As recently as Saturday, Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at a Philippine boat conducting a lawful resupply mission to a Philippine military outpost at a contested shoal in the South China Sea.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The Philippines intentionally grounded an old warship at the shoal in 1999, as a means of bolstering its territorial claims and has kept a small contingent of military there ever since.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
In the 1990s the Philippines grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship called the BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal, to help enforce its claim to the area.
—James Legge, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Indeed, though it’s been mistakenly labeled a rom-com by some, the series demonstrably darkens as not just Emma and Dexter’s friendship but also their career ambitions, family ties and romantic relationships hit the shoals of advancing adulthood.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also made territorial claims to some of the shoals.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
They were designed to ferry enormous loads in their holds, up and down the Thames and its nearby rivers and estuaries, in shallow, shoaling waters, subject to notorious tides and nervous wind.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
At this point, the heat may be mixed back up to the surface by a combination of shoaling currents, upwelling and turbulent mixing.
—Noel Gutiérrez Brizuela, The Conversation, 20 June 2023
Noun
On multiple occasions, Chinese coast guard ships shot high-pressure jets of water at Philippine resupply boats, and last December and early March, boats from both countries have collided near the shoal.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
In the 1990s, the Philippines grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship on the shoal, to help enforce its claim to the area.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The shoal, occupied by Philippine navy personnel since the late 1990s, has recently become the backdrop for an increasingly tense territorial standoff with the Chinese coast guard.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2024
As recently as Saturday, Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at a Philippine boat conducting a lawful resupply mission to a Philippine military outpost at a contested shoal in the South China Sea.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The Philippines intentionally grounded an old warship at the shoal in 1999, as a means of bolstering its territorial claims and has kept a small contingent of military there ever since.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
In the 1990s the Philippines grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship called the BRP Sierra Madre on the shoal, to help enforce its claim to the area.
—James Legge, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Indeed, though it’s been mistakenly labeled a rom-com by some, the series demonstrably darkens as not just Emma and Dexter’s friendship but also their career ambitions, family ties and romantic relationships hit the shoals of advancing adulthood.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also made territorial claims to some of the shoals.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoal.' 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
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shoal
1 of 3 adjective
: shallow entry 1 sense 1
shoal water
shoal
2 of 3 noun1
: a place where a sea, lake, or river is shallow
2
: a sandbank or sandbar just below the surface of the water
shoal
3 of 3 noun
: school entry 3
a shoal of pilot fish
Etymology
Adjective
Old English sceald "shallow"
Noun
Old English scolu "great number"
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