coastlines

noun

plural of coastline
as in coasts
the land adjacent to a body of water The state has mainly rocky coastline and few beaches. The plane flew along the eastern coastline.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coastlines Longtime earth science professor William Selby will draw on observation and research to explain how ocean temperatures and our changing weather patterns are transforming our coastlines. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 But governments are also aware that as ice melts in the coming decades, transit seasons could extend and additional routes can open up, such as a potential trans-polar route that avoids Russian coastlines altogether. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 European observers will see the moon low in the western sky before dawn, creating dramatic opportunities to see and photograph the eclipsed moon above city skylines, coastlines and mountain landscapes as morning twilight begins. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Five years ago, the state created the Resilient Florida Program to help boost Florida’s efforts to protect inland waterways, coastlines, and shores, which all provide natural defenses against sea level rise. — Jaclyn De Medicci Bruneau, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 The design reminded me of an upscale country retreat, one with the most beautiful coastlines in the Caribbean. — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Encounters with shifting coastlines, towering redwoods, and mycelial networks spark meditations on inheritance, resilience, and the work of remaking a life. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has been growing since 2011, dumping an increasing amount of seaweed along coastlines in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 Because helium replaces water as the cooling medium, these reactors do not need to be built near rivers or coastlines. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coastlines
  1. coasts
  2. shores
  3. beaches
Noun
  • Say ciao to the Roman Coast With so many coasts, coves and fishing villages to choose from in Italy, the Roman coast is not often the first place people mention for a beach holiday.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Beach Hazards Statements remain in effect for the Oregon north, central, and southern coasts, as well as the south Washington coast.
    — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of coasts
Noun
  • Park in the right spot and the approach is transformed into a pleasant stroll around the shores of the lake that gives the aforementioned shopping centre its name.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The story goes that cheaper flights and package holidays from the nineteen-sixties onward sent most Brits to sunnier shores abroad.
    — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of shores
Noun
  • The agency said in a statement that a coastal strip of as much as 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) in length is impacted around Ras Madrakah, and that the spill is expected to reach the southern beaches of Masirah Island in the coming hours.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, more people have been heading to beaches seeking outdoor recreation since the coronavirus pandemic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of beaches

Browse Nearby Words

coastline
coastlines
coasts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coastlines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coastlines. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on coastlines

Nglish: Translation of coastlines for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All