as in bays
an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar
Beyond the beach there was a picturesque blue lagoon.
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Recent Examples of lagoons
Nearby, explore downtown Playa del Carmen or visit Xcaret, an eco-archaeological park that offers the opportunity to swim in underground rivers or float in lagoons, among other activities.
—
Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Here, breathtaking landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, freckled with twinkling lagoons and clusters of thick forests, framed by gentle slopes and hills beyond.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Centuries ago, the Maya cut a slender channel through dense mangrove forests to facilitate transportation between two technicolor lagoons.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Each of those projects was similar to the work needed at Buena Vista and included the side benefit of using the sand taken from the lagoons to widen nearby eroded beaches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Originally a mix of swamps and lagoons, Albert Park received its name in 1864 to honor Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Greenland has polar bears, Iceland its famous hot springs lagoons, Sweden is synonymous with saunas, and another renowned winter fun destination is Finland’s extremely snowy Lapland.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow, protected lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals have congregated for eons to calf, nurse and breed, said Steven Swartz, a marine scientist who has studied gray whales since 1977.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Here, breathtaking landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, freckled with twinkling lagoons and clusters of thick forests, framed by gentle slopes and hills beyond.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Centuries ago, the Maya cut a slender channel through dense mangrove forests to facilitate transportation between two technicolor lagoons.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Each of those projects was similar to the work needed at Buena Vista and included the side benefit of using the sand taken from the lagoons to widen nearby eroded beaches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Originally a mix of swamps and lagoons, Albert Park received its name in 1864 to honor Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Greenland has polar bears, Iceland its famous hot springs lagoons, Sweden is synonymous with saunas, and another renowned winter fun destination is Finland’s extremely snowy Lapland.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow, protected lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals have congregated for eons to calf, nurse and breed, said Steven Swartz, a marine scientist who has studied gray whales since 1977.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagoons
Noun
-
The airport, which opened to commercial traffic in 1939, covers 680 acres (275 hectares) and borders Flushing and Bowery bays in Queens.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The airport, which opened to commercial traffic in 1939, covers 680 acres and borders Flushing and Bowery bays in Queens.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ships with barely 100 cabins that can access coves and fishing villages no megaship can touch.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Bái Tử Long Bay has the same towering limestone islands and karst formations, caves, hidden coves, and floating fishing villages, but with a quieter, more quaint and intimate feel.—
Jasmine Ting,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indulge in the Arctic summer with a glass of wine on the water-facing patio after a day of hiking the fjords.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The trip was breathtaking, from towering glaciers and misty fjords to wildlife sightings that felt straight out of a nature documentary.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Take an ecotour with Pawleys Island Guide Services to explore the marshes, deltas, tidal creeks, and estuaries that wind their way around the island.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bear cans are a must, as are sturdy shoes with solid treads and waterproof footwear to cross creeks.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The deep southern creeks were once like this — serene, thick with fish, and loud with birds.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Located on the shores of Loch Linnhe, one of 31,000 freshwater lochs in Scotland, Fort William sits in the shadow of Ben Nevis, at 4,490 feet the highest peak in Britain.—
Patti Nickell,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Curling is a game of tradition, first played centuries ago on Scottish lochs, where players slide heavy granite rocks down a sheet of ice toward a target.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Crowds also jammed the surrounding roads and beaches, reminiscent of the Apollo moonshots in the 1960s and ’70s.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lagoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagoons. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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