1
a
: a bay or recess in the shore of a sea, lake, or river
also
: creek
b
: a narrow water passage between peninsulas or through a barrier island leading to a bay or lagoon
2
: a way of entering
especially
: an opening for intake
Synonyms
Examples of inlet in a Sentence
The coast is dotted with tiny inlets.
went fishing in the quiet inlets of the coast
Recent Examples on the Web
But radar and topographic data of the sites revealed the inlets’ riverbeds as well as the causeways that led to the pyramids of Pepi II and Merenre.
—
Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 May 2024
The flooding problem is due to a small drain, with inlets connecting to an 18-inch pipe that leads to the South Platte River.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 16 May 2024
During this time of year, inlets can be warmer, and also moving water presents fresh oxygen.
—Nicole Stone, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2024
Farther offshore, a lone elephant seal fished for its lunch, and, in a rocky inlet, an otter bobbed along on its back, a crab clutched between its front paws.
—Sara B. Franklin, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
None of it quite seems to go together, and yet, by many measures that first race, held on an inlet of the Red Sea in Jeddah on Feb. 3, was a success.
—J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
As the boat of partiers zoomed away into the choppy waters of the Boca Raton inlet, the video pans out to the spread of debris left floating in their wake.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 7 May 2024
The changes happening now were as dramatic as any that had occurred since the tidal inlet known as the Gowanus Creek was widened, deepened, and originally lined with bulkheads in the nineteenth century.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
As the sun comes up, green heads can often be seen bobbing in the inlet, followed by long, scaly bodies: iguanas clambering up the small wooden jetty to warm themselves.
—Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 May 2024
The flooding problem is due to a small drain, with inlets connecting to an 18-inch pipe that leads to the South Platte River.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 16 May 2024
During this time of year, inlets can be warmer, and also moving water presents fresh oxygen.
—Nicole Stone, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2024
Farther offshore, a lone elephant seal fished for its lunch, and, in a rocky inlet, an otter bobbed along on its back, a crab clutched between its front paws.
—Sara B. Franklin, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
None of it quite seems to go together, and yet, by many measures that first race, held on an inlet of the Red Sea in Jeddah on Feb. 3, was a success.
—J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
As the boat of partiers zoomed away into the choppy waters of the Boca Raton inlet, the video pans out to the spread of debris left floating in their wake.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 7 May 2024
The changes happening now were as dramatic as any that had occurred since the tidal inlet known as the Gowanus Creek was widened, deepened, and originally lined with bulkheads in the nineteenth century.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
As the sun comes up, green heads can often be seen bobbing in the inlet, followed by long, scaly bodies: iguanas clambering up the small wooden jetty to warm themselves.
—Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inlet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near inlet
Cite this Entry
“Inlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inlet. Accessed 21 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inlet
noun
in·let
ˈin-ˌlet 
-lət
1
: a small or narrow bay
2
: an opening for intake especially of fluids
Medical Definition
inlet
noun
in·let
ˈin-ˌlet, -lət
: the upper opening of a bodily cavity
especially
: that of the cavity of the true pelvis bounded by the pelvic brim
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