as in bay
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
in his biography of Samuel Johnson, James Boswell tells of being conducted by a Scottish boatman "across one of the lochs, as they call them, or arms of the sea"
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Recent Examples of loch
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
While an exact date can’t be pinpointed, according to the World Curling Federation, the sport was played during its early stages on frozen lochs and ponds in northern Europe.
—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Created by sculptor Andy Scott, the kelpies — shape-shifting mythical creatures from Scottish folklore that live in the country's famous lochs — were completed in 2013.
—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loch
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
While an exact date can’t be pinpointed, according to the World Curling Federation, the sport was played during its early stages on frozen lochs and ponds in northern Europe.
—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Created by sculptor Andy Scott, the kelpies — shape-shifting mythical creatures from Scottish folklore that live in the country's famous lochs — were completed in 2013.
—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loch
Noun
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Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand was crucial to keeping Belgium at bay with seven stops, including an extraordinary block from point-blank range by left-back Maxim De Cuyper, who attempted a game-high five shots.
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Aside from the decor, there’s lots to love, beginning with the rates, which are inexplicably lower than those of the high-rises across the bay.
Noun
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Blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, naturally occur in inland waters, estuaries and the sea.
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Crocodiles are more tolerant of saltwater than alligators and are commonly found in mangrove habitats, bays and estuaries in South Florida.
Noun
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After playing one more hole, the twelfth, along the firth, the course makes a turn inland for the duration of the round.
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Bleary-eyed coverage that kicks off before sunrise in the States, with gusts off the firth and cut lines that can swallow a top 10 in an hour.
Noun
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The outdoor eatery sits at the back of a tiny beach cove lined with beds and umbrellas on a patio under a shaded pergola.
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The properties sit across a cove from where Michael Jordan once tore down his own mansion (presumably to build a bigger one — as one does).
Cite this Entry
“Loch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loch. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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