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
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Recent Examples of shoals
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
This private island property features just 22 one- and two-bedroom cottages and villas surrounded by sandy shoals and crystal-clear waters.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 8 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
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
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
This private island property features just 22 one- and two-bedroom cottages and villas surrounded by sandy shoals and crystal-clear waters.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 8 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoals
Noun
-
Online banks and credit unions, in particular, tend to offer the most competitive money market rates.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The official said Treasury has warned banks in China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Oman that facilitating Iranian trade could expose them to secondary sanctions, signaling a more aggressive approach to enforcement beyond Iran’s borders.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the early summer, most of the bass have finished spawning in the shallows and have now pushed back to deeper water to find their summer haunts.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Winter through spring draws anglers who cast from ladders in the shallows to reach deep drop-offs.—
Ted Alvarez,
Outside,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoals. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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