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
Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
In this image, Landsat 9 reveals the Mazartagh Ridge rising around 600 feet (180 meters) above the surrounding sands, acting as a natural barrier against the relentless winds that sweep China's Takla Makan Desert.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Once in Norfolk, travelers are 30 minutes from the sands of Virginia Beach, and an hour drive from the North Carolina border.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
Yes, the city is named for the impressive color and clarity of its water, but it could just as easily be named for its sugar-white sands.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
That’s a lot of water, and the thirsty sands of the desert quickly absorbed it.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
Yet visitors can still find secluded stretches and coves of golden sands and craggy coastal formations, some of the best tidepools anywhere and about 2,400 acres of beach and backcountry that make Crystal Cove a favorite of naturalists.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
The sports star shared another full-length shot of the couple — who currently reside in Oslo — with their arms around each other on the same white sands, while a third closer-up image showed the couple smiling and rubbing noses.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Blue Apple Beach, Hart's trailblazing hotel and beach club, sits along the sands of Isla Tierra Bomba, just a twenty-minute boat ride from Cartagena.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
In recent years, as the Amazon has experienced droughts and unpredictable flood cycles, the patterns of change residents have grown accustomed to are shifting with the sands.
—Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
In this image, Landsat 9 reveals the Mazartagh Ridge rising around 600 feet (180 meters) above the surrounding sands, acting as a natural barrier against the relentless winds that sweep China's Takla Makan Desert.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Once in Norfolk, travelers are 30 minutes from the sands of Virginia Beach, and an hour drive from the North Carolina border.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
Yes, the city is named for the impressive color and clarity of its water, but it could just as easily be named for its sugar-white sands.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
That’s a lot of water, and the thirsty sands of the desert quickly absorbed it.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
Yet visitors can still find secluded stretches and coves of golden sands and craggy coastal formations, some of the best tidepools anywhere and about 2,400 acres of beach and backcountry that make Crystal Cove a favorite of naturalists.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
The sports star shared another full-length shot of the couple — who currently reside in Oslo — with their arms around each other on the same white sands, while a third closer-up image showed the couple smiling and rubbing noses.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Blue Apple Beach, Hart's trailblazing hotel and beach club, sits along the sands of Isla Tierra Bomba, just a twenty-minute boat ride from Cartagena.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sands
Noun
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Bring a bottle of bug spray, a blanket or a comfortable beach chair, then sit back and enjoy the show.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
23 Oct. 2025
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Cheryl Grimmer disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong over 50 years ago; however, her disappearance has remained unsolved for decades.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The video shows the pup lounging around in various positions in a home setting, from asleep on the floor and over a blanket to playing with a dog toy and lying on the floor with her legs in the air as a hand rubs her belly.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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For a deeper dive into DeRose-Broeckert’s findings about how deer perceive scrapes and rubs, head over to NDA.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The details of the cases were not proactively made public beyond being made available for review for anyone who files a request under the state's public records law.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Alderperson detained by federal agents files lawsuit Ald.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The single-button power control is a favorite feature of our reviewer Williams, as well as the fluffy optic cleaner head that cleans and polishes her hard floors.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
25 Sep. 2025
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Next, the gel polishes themselves had to work with the specific wavelengths of the Olive & June lamp.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At bottom, that’s the thing that grinds my gears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sands. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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