as in banks
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow
didn't attempt getting the horses across the stream until we had reached the ford
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Recent Examples of fords
Stirling’s forces surrounded the unprepared Aboriginal people, taking positions across the river and at the fords above and below the camp.
—
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fords
Noun
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The Prince of Wales spent part of his summer in 1997 relaxing along the banks of the River Dee in Scotland.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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As traditional banks retreated from middle-market lending following the GFC, a new class of non-bank lenders rushed in to fill the gap.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Rose Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky heap of land in Narragansett Bay, guiding ships away from the shallow shoals of Newport Harbor.—
Madeline Bilis,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
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As a result, the wide, shallow bay, with its lacework of shoals and basins, grows hot and hypersaline, killing seagrass, fueling algae blooms and hurting the economy of the Keys.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The dropping water temperatures signals them to get off the shallows.—
John Phillips,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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Thawing ice along a riverbank, the shallows capturing the reflection of one of the grandchildren; the burning flame of a wick disappearing into a birthday cake; the deep, dark tunnel of a fleeting set of train tracks, as piercing as the endless blue eyes of the toddler in the diptych beside it.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fords.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fords. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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