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, and the South Boundary Trail, which winds along the eastern side of the main dune area.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
American Samoa offers remote South Pacific coral reefs and volcanic ridges, while Dry Tortugas, accessible only by boat or seaplane, features vibrant marine life and a massive 19th-century coastal fortress, around 70 miles off the coast of Key West.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Bison roam freely, wild horses graze on ridges, and entire prairie dog towns pop up along the roadside.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 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
-
Breakfast patios overlook rafters drifting by; anglers cast from stone embankments; kayakers practice freestyle moves at the whitewater park in the middle of it all.—
Ted Alvarez,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Under the cover of night on July 30, 1949, the Amethyst quenched all its lights on board and shadowed a passing Chinese merchant ship, the Kiangling Liberation, following it through the tricky shoals of the river.—
Anne Ewbank,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sandbars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbars. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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