shoreline

noun

shore·​line ˈshȯr-ˌlīn 

1

: the line where a body of water and the shore meet

2

: the strip of land along the shoreline

Examples of shoreline in a Sentence

The road runs along the shoreline.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Sheboygan Breakwater Light is located off the eastern coast of Wisconsin near the city of Sheboygan in Sheboygan County, at the mouth of the Sheboygan River along the Lake Michigan shoreline. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 July 2025

Just outside of small town Belmont, yellow wildflowers line the entrance of a path where chestnut oak trees shade wild turkeys, blooming snowbell bushes and lake shorelines. —Abby Pender, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2025

Crocodile-like reptiles called phytosaurs watched the shoreline for prey; the dragon-like reptile Vancleavea foraged for small critters; and armadillo-like crocodile relatives called aetosaurs munched on plants and bugs along the banks. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2025

Fishermen line the rocky shoreline most days and are often hauling in stripers. —Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shoreline

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

Kids Definition

shoreline

noun

shore·​line -ˌlīn 

: the line where a body of water touches the shore

Geographical Definition

Shoreline

geographical name

Shore·​line ˈshȯr-ˌlīn 

city in west central Washington on Puget Sound north of Seattle population 53,007