as in shallow
lacking significant physical depth
shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore
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Recent Examples of shoal
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
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoal
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
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
Adjective
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The submarines are said to be designed for shallow waters like the Strait of Hormuz and can operate quietly for limited periods on battery power.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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Bichette dropped a flare into shallow center field out of the reach of converging defenders, allowing Torrens to score the tying run, and Benge to go to first.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Industry pros said the debacle shows how lenders in the space, such as investment banks and asset managers, now face a fundamental challenge in assessing and verifying their true economic exposure to risks within such complex credit structures.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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As the February deadline approached, Epstein’s entities had not finished leaving the bank.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoal. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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