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
Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
The shoals attract diving gannets and orcas.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Also of note is the Landsford Canal State Park in May or June, when the riverside is covered in rocky shoals spider lilies.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
The same day, two US warships – littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati and the destroyer USS Higgins – were spotted about 30 nautical miles away from the shoal, reported Reuters.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Noun
Analysts have said Beijing’s plan to categorize the shoal as a nature reserve amounts to trying to take the moral high ground in the dispute over the atoll, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
The shoals attract diving gannets and orcas.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Also of note is the Landsford Canal State Park in May or June, when the riverside is covered in rocky shoals spider lilies.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
The same day, two US warships – littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati and the destroyer USS Higgins – were spotted about 30 nautical miles away from the shoal, reported Reuters.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
Adjective
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The wreckage is slowly being subsumed by the reef in the shallow blue waters of the tropical lagoon, but its story is far from over.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The following morning, their dead bodies were found in a shallow ditch.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Are banks open on Veterans Day?—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Nov. 2025
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However, bank ATMs and digital banking features will typically still be available.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoal. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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