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
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
For any shipping hub to flourish in the early days of Great Lakes maritime trade, lighthouses were needed to warn mariners of shoals, and welcome boats to critical harbors which still dot the lakes.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
The shoal lies over 500 miles from China's southernmost province, Hainan, and about 140 miles east of Luzon Island, well within the U.S. ally's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Overall, there are far more rocks and shoals on the economic horizon than fair seas.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Noun
And for decades, every attempt to create legal access has foundered on the rocky shoals of property rights and lumbering bureaucracy.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
For any shipping hub to flourish in the early days of Great Lakes maritime trade, lighthouses were needed to warn mariners of shoals, and welcome boats to critical harbors which still dot the lakes.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
The shoal lies over 500 miles from China's southernmost province, Hainan, and about 140 miles east of Luzon Island, well within the U.S. ally's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Overall, there are far more rocks and shoals on the economic horizon than fair seas.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
Adjective
-
Arrange lettuce wedges, rounded side down, on rimmed plates or shallow bowls.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
7 July 2025
-
In the rugged, rolling terrain it’s known for, heavy rains collect quickly in its shallow streams and rivers that can burst into torrents like the deadly flood wave that swept along the Guadalupe River on July 4.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Sparks emerge from a red-gold river and settle themselves in flowers that line both banks.—
Mary Jo Bang
July 9,
Literary Hub,
9 July 2025
-
Their current 53-38 record is in the bank, however, and most projection methods give them an 80%+ chance to make the postseason.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoal. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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