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
Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Snorkeling aside, stretching out on the pristine sands of Trunk Bay, considered one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, is a highlight of any visit to the island.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
In the ad, Yang and Hamm appear to be a bit salty that they weren’t invited to a party on Ritz island, though The Avengers star quickly shifts their mood, and the three jet ski through the sands of the bash.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
The remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck have emerged from beneath the sands of a New Jersey beach.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
There are camels, horses, and fat bikes to ride through the seemingly endless sands and spa treatments that use Arabian dates and coffee.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Grand Cayman is known for its natural features, like the white sands of Seven Mile Beach; diverse wildlife, including stingrays, sea turtles and rare blue iguanas; and high-end shopping and culinary experiences.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
Caparica’s dreamy sands are worthy of pause—quite literally.
—Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Snorkeling aside, stretching out on the pristine sands of Trunk Bay, considered one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, is a highlight of any visit to the island.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
In the ad, Yang and Hamm appear to be a bit salty that they weren’t invited to a party on Ritz island, though The Avengers star quickly shifts their mood, and the three jet ski through the sands of the bash.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
The remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck have emerged from beneath the sands of a New Jersey beach.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
There are camels, horses, and fat bikes to ride through the seemingly endless sands and spa treatments that use Arabian dates and coffee.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Grand Cayman is known for its natural features, like the white sands of Seven Mile Beach; diverse wildlife, including stingrays, sea turtles and rare blue iguanas; and high-end shopping and culinary experiences.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
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
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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What & Why Rhode Island digs into this curious bit of beach trivia.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The Chicago Park District dispatched crews to clear the beaches and ran out of places to put the foul flotsam.—
Theodore J. Karamanski,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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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Los Angeles leaders called on Wasserman to resign after the series of racy emails between him and Maxwell were released in the latest batch of the Jeffrey Epstein files over the weekend.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … FOUL PLAY – Lions fan files $100M lawsuit after DK Metcalf clash, denies racial slur claims.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 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 14 Feb. 2026.
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