as in beach
the usually sandy or gravelly land bordering a body of water
we went for a moonlight walk on the sands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in rubs
to make smooth by friction
painstakingly sanded down the wooden floors of the old house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sands
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
The team searched river sands near Stonehenge for those mineral signals and found none.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Or book an unforgettable helicopter tour to the remote sands of Nova Scotia’s Sable Island National Park Reserve, known for having the world’s largest breeding colony of gray seals and more than 500 stocky wild horses.
—Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
At sunset, the golden sands glow flame-orange.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Egypt’s mummies are the most well-known, but the process can also happen naturally in places like glacier ice, desert sands and bog sludge.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
While Rolls-Royce Cullinans waited to ferry guests to the golden sands of Jardin Tropézina, the hotel's chic beach club, children were far more enchanted by the whimsical little train that chugged them toward the 5,500-square-foot kids’ club.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
Royalton Bavaro Punta Cana, Dominican Republic There are almost 200 swim-out rooms available at Royalton Bavaro, which sits along the golden sands of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
That’s partly because the sands are slowly shifting in Washington.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2026
Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
Dark-orange lines, like heavy serpents, stripe the sands, gray rivers stripe the sands.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
The team searched river sands near Stonehenge for those mineral signals and found none.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Or book an unforgettable helicopter tour to the remote sands of Nova Scotia’s Sable Island National Park Reserve, known for having the world’s largest breeding colony of gray seals and more than 500 stocky wild horses.
—Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
At sunset, the golden sands glow flame-orange.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Egypt’s mummies are the most well-known, but the process can also happen naturally in places like glacier ice, desert sands and bog sludge.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
While Rolls-Royce Cullinans waited to ferry guests to the golden sands of Jardin Tropézina, the hotel's chic beach club, children were far more enchanted by the whimsical little train that chugged them toward the 5,500-square-foot kids’ club.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
Royalton Bavaro Punta Cana, Dominican Republic There are almost 200 swim-out rooms available at Royalton Bavaro, which sits along the golden sands of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
That’s partly because the sands are slowly shifting in Washington.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sands
Noun
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Swimming is not advised on the island’s unpatrolled beaches and strong ocean currents are considered hazardous, especially along the eastern coast.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The beach was starting to get busy.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This might happen because antler rubs strip bark away, revealing lignin-rich inner wood that reemits the longer wavelengths in a way bark does not.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
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Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, including schoolteacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer).—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her daughter Frances Bean eventually files for emancipation.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
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Atmos annually files a request to redo its rates, and has previously cited infrastructure improvements as a reason for increasing costs.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In another, Kelly’s character polishes the massive rock on a seat cushion, then lies back to admire it.—
Rachel Garrahan,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
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Designed in tandem with the brand’s existing DIY gel system, Olive & June’s Builder Gel polishes (retailing for $12 each) are thicker in texture than traditional gel polish, creating a strong, supportive barrier to help grow your natural nails.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sands. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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