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
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.
—Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Parrotfish, angelfish, and thick shoals of bluestripe snappers colored the reef.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 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
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.
—Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Parrotfish, angelfish, and thick shoals of bluestripe snappers colored the reef.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoals
Noun
-
Delhi was designed around its banks in the 17th century, when the river fed the canals that cooled royal palaces.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The shift would help keep money in the local community rather than in the hands of banks and credit card companies that charge significant processing fees to generate company profits, the company explained.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
During the day, the mineral-rich, soft limestone freshwater ranges from a minty blue in the shallows to viridian at its deepest lakebed.—
Gemma Price,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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The pelicans on the water, the diving cormorants and circling ospreys, the stalking great blue herons in the shallows — all are reminders of what’s at stake for Pitt and for the West.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoals. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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