as in bays
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
went fishing in the quiet inlets of the coast
Synonyms & Similar 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 inlets
Shoot through natural waterslides, wade in shallow pools, or swim in the shockingly deep inlets.
—
Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Small craft should exercise caution near inlets and over offshore waters.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
There are a couple of sandy beaches, but most are rocky, and the island is ringed by pretty inlets and coves.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
Daily, overnight or tailor‑made multi-day cruises are guided by multilingual crews with customizable itineraries across quaint seaside villages and secret inlets.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Historically, the Norwegians would capture whales in narrow inlets, according to Ancient Origins.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
The three boats were almost home, sailing the last few dozen miles before disappearing into Maine’s unchartable maze of inlets and bays.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Stewart looks inside the nozzles and inlets, cleaning them in and out.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
All storm drain inlets have been inspected, up from 85% the previous year.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Small craft should exercise caution near inlets and over offshore waters.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
There are a couple of sandy beaches, but most are rocky, and the island is ringed by pretty inlets and coves.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
Daily, overnight or tailor‑made multi-day cruises are guided by multilingual crews with customizable itineraries across quaint seaside villages and secret inlets.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Historically, the Norwegians would capture whales in narrow inlets, according to Ancient Origins.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
The three boats were almost home, sailing the last few dozen miles before disappearing into Maine’s unchartable maze of inlets and bays.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Stewart looks inside the nozzles and inlets, cleaning them in and out.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
All storm drain inlets have been inspected, up from 85% the previous year.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inlets
Noun
-
Its internal weapons bays can carry up to four Blackbeard missiles.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The fire had reached nearby bays and swamps, which contributed to the challenging firefighting conditions.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Whether white shrimp from estuaries, or pink, brown, and Royal Red shrimp from the bay, or fin fish beyond Dauphin Island found in the deeper waters of the Gulf, seafood is woven into Mobile’s signature recipes.—
Anne Byrn,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In a new study, Daniel Petras, a biochemist at UC Riverside — together with 29 researchers from around the world — looked at 2,315 seawater samples collected from estuaries, coastal regions, coral reefs and the open ocean.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inlets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inlets. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
