sandcastle

noun

sand·​cas·​tle ˈsan(d)-ˌka-səl How to pronounce sandcastle (audio)
variants or sand castle
: a small model of a castle or other structure that is made with sand on a beach
Ruth lay beside Piet unhappily, not quite ready to bask and beautify herself like a teenager, yet too old for sandcastles.John Updike
"What you want is a change of air. We will pop down together hand in hand this week-end to some seaside resort. You shall build sand castles, while I lie on the beach and read the paper."P. G. Wodehouse

Examples of sandcastle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The imagery includes a half man-half caribou figure, a whale’s tail, flying turtles, coco trees, a sandcastle, and other objects related to the island. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2023 The beach was covered with hundreds of sandcastles, but only 11 had clues just below the sandcastle. Michael Schneider, Variety, 4 Sep. 2021 But that whole life was gone in the fire, toppled like a sandcastle. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023 So much so fast that civil rights organizations won’t have the resources to fight more than a fraction of it, and the result will be like sandcastle walls trying to hold back a tsunami. Brynn Tannehill, The New Republic, 24 July 2023 Kids have their own crafts, sandcastle building, and wildlife activities at Seedlings, its kids’ club. Melinda Fulmer, Robb Report, 30 June 2023 And then the amount of time till the next wave even further demolishes my sandcastle, that’s the period. Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 14 June 2023 Beach activities range from sandcastle building to surfing lessons. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 20 June 2023 The pop-up boutique housing the toile de Jouy pink and gray collection, inspired by Mediterranean beach culture and modeled after a giant sandcastle, is only one part of the Dioriviera experience. The Editors, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sandcastle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandcastle was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near sandcastle

Cite this Entry

“Sandcastle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandcastle. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!