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
Adam Pourahmadi, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The new island draws its name from the bright aragonite sands that form its foundation and will be an extension of the brand's commitment to connect guests with the ocean.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
There were other, less elevated, reasons to watch women on the sands.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
With Iceland’s titular black sands serving as the backdrop, the first season of the show followed Anita, a troubled police officer played by Aldis Amah Hamilton (The Valhalla Murders) who also co-writes the series.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Humans weren’t the only ones hanging out on the sands of Miami Beach over the weekend.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Crowds packed the white sands of Fort Lauderdale beach Saturday for day two of the three-day Tortuga Music Festival.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Explore pristine sands and secluded coves along Laguna's seven miles of coastline.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
The ’70s shocks also set off a search for oil outside the Middle East — Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, the North Sea fields off the coasts of the United Kingdom and Norway and Canada’s oil sands deposits.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
Her clothes, patterned in vivid reds, pinks and oranges, echo the mineral-rich sands of Iran’s Qeshm and Hormuz islands, where the earth itself seems to glow.
—Adam Pourahmadi, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The new island draws its name from the bright aragonite sands that form its foundation and will be an extension of the brand's commitment to connect guests with the ocean.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
There were other, less elevated, reasons to watch women on the sands.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
With Iceland’s titular black sands serving as the backdrop, the first season of the show followed Anita, a troubled police officer played by Aldis Amah Hamilton (The Valhalla Murders) who also co-writes the series.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Humans weren’t the only ones hanging out on the sands of Miami Beach over the weekend.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Crowds packed the white sands of Fort Lauderdale beach Saturday for day two of the three-day Tortuga Music Festival.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Explore pristine sands and secluded coves along Laguna's seven miles of coastline.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
The ’70s shocks also set off a search for oil outside the Middle East — Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, the North Sea fields off the coasts of the United Kingdom and Norway and Canada’s oil sands deposits.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sawdust sprays as Matt Sams meticulously sands the edges of a balcony railing that will soon be affixed to the front of a house.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
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
-
People revel in the nostalgia of ten or twenty or thirty years ago by digging up old photos and posting them—photos from birthday parties or career milestones or from a moment spent sitting under the final sparks of daylight on a beach.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The tradition has carried on, however, as an unsanctioned event on the beach for decades, and has primarily been marketed to HBCU students in the southeast.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Give him lots of treats and belly rubs!—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It can be added to marinades, soups, sauces, rubs, and is often on the table to be added to whatever dish is being served.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While these claims are redacted on the CCRB’s website, they’re given over to anyone who files a FOIL request.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
To recast a three-quarter-length body as a pyramid, a favorite Renaissance shape, Raphael repeatedly files down the shoulder blades and turns their supporting muscle into a long sloping line, which dives from neck to arm.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From there, Sharrow thins down its propeller to precise specification with a five-axis CNC machine and polishes it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their bestselling Regenerating Cleanser gently polishes away impurities and dullness to reveal a healthy-looking, radiant glow, clinically proven to make skin look brighter, smoother, more hydrated and pores look smaller.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Company executives often meet with clients at Wilson's Sandwich Shop, a Depression-era favorite that still cuts and grinds its hamburger in-house from local cattle.—
Dean Narciso,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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While passengers, for the most part, do their best to extend common courtesy to airline staff, there’s one boarding habit that, unbeknownst to passengers, grinds the gears of flight attendants who are preparing for departure.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sands. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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