as in dunes
a raised area of sand with a top that is near or just above the surface of the water in an ocean, lake, or river
We walked out onto the sandbar at low tide.
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Recent Examples of sandbars
The location of the shootout, near Falcones Cay, is known for shallow waters, sandbars and beaches.
—
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Uneven sandbars lifted and then dropped us in a slow-motion, repetitive dance on the sediment floor.
—Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Pristine disappearing sandbars are also a huge draw, allowing visitors to walk on powdery white stretches in the remarkably clear waters as the tides roll out.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Guides such as Eggleston place observers on sandbars at least 150 feet from the charismatic carnivores.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
River shorelines and sandbars pose unseen dangers.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Rip currents are more likely to develop when a coastline is more complex, in terms of either the visible shore—a feature such as a jetty or a rocky point can trigger rip currents—or the underwater topography of sandbars that raise the ocean floor.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Uneven sandbars lifted and then dropped us in a slow-motion, repetitive dance on the sediment floor.
—Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Pristine disappearing sandbars are also a huge draw, allowing visitors to walk on powdery white stretches in the remarkably clear waters as the tides roll out.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Guides such as Eggleston place observers on sandbars at least 150 feet from the charismatic carnivores.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
River shorelines and sandbars pose unseen dangers.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Rip currents are more likely to develop when a coastline is more complex, in terms of either the visible shore—a feature such as a jetty or a rocky point can trigger rip currents—or the underwater topography of sandbars that raise the ocean floor.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sandbars
Noun
-
Many travelers opt to take a four-wheeler down the Sand Highway, a one-way trail into a canyon on the boundary of the dunes, or on the South Boundary Trail, which winds along the eastern side of the main dune area.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During their flyby on April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew captured a portion of the moon along the boundary between lunar day and night, where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface, revealing rugged topography, craters and ridges in striking detail.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Lighting conditions during the flyby are expected to cast long shadows across the surface, revealing geological features such as ridges and crater rims in greater detail.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Slopes or embankments are classified by their gradient (vertical rise over 100 feet).—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
It was shortened again by the construction of embankments in 1835 or 1836 and in 1838.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The island is surrounded by reefs and shoals, and is home to several historical sites, parks and viewpoints.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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As the southern Gulf Stream clashes with the northern Labrador Current, the rough waters steer sailors toward shallow shoals and ultimate disaster.—
Brian Higgins,
Outside,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sandbars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbars. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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