as in banks
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow
the shoals off Nantucket Island are famous as the final resting places of many ill-fated ships
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shoals
The assumption is that Lohar will either abandon pursuit or accidentally run the Bitchfist aground on the toothy shoals.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
China claims almost all of the sea, including areas that overlap with exclusive economic zones from countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and has been building out structures on some shoals in recent years to bolster its claims.
—
Joanna Ossinger,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Rose Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky heap of land in Narragansett Bay, guiding ships away from the shallow shoals of Newport Harbor.
—
Madeline Bilis,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
As a result, the wide, shallow bay, with its lacework of shoals and basins, grows hot and hypersaline, killing seagrass, fueling algae blooms and hurting the economy of the Keys.
—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
The island is surrounded by reefs and shoals, and is home to several historical sites, parks and viewpoints.
—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
China claims almost all of the sea, including areas that overlap with exclusive economic zones from countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and has been building out structures on some shoals in recent years to bolster its claims.
—
Joanna Ossinger,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Rose Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky heap of land in Narragansett Bay, guiding ships away from the shallow shoals of Newport Harbor.
—
Madeline Bilis,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
As a result, the wide, shallow bay, with its lacework of shoals and basins, grows hot and hypersaline, killing seagrass, fueling algae blooms and hurting the economy of the Keys.
—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
The island is surrounded by reefs and shoals, and is home to several historical sites, parks and viewpoints.
—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoals
Noun
-
The agency states these incidents can occur due to the overheating that power banks and similar devices experience as a result of a process called thermal runaway.
-
Officials said Friday that a group of 50 volunteers had joined the effort to look for Kinney along the banks of the lake, adding that on-and-off rain hindered the search, according to WSAZ.
Noun
-
Instead of clear water and visible fins cutting through the shallows, the researchers were met with something far less cooperative.
-
Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay are Instagram classics, and the shallows off Maho Bay are known for sea turtles.
Cite this Entry
“Shoals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoals. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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