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
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.
—
Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 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
Head to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum for a glimpse as to why these waters earned that nickname—more than 600 shipwrecks caused by treacherous, shifting shoals.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Mar. 2025
Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 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
Head to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum for a glimpse as to why these waters earned that nickname—more than 600 shipwrecks caused by treacherous, shifting shoals.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoals
Noun
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Limiting banks’ ability to charge rates commensurate with historic default levels would likely send shock-waves through the industry.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
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There were times on this trip when all of them seemed to be crowding the banks at once.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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In the Seychelles, Anse Source d’Argent—less than half a mile long—ranked eighth, drawing millions of searches thanks to its granite boulders and remarkably clear shallows.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoals. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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