Illustration of continental shelf
- 1 seashore
- 2 continental shelf
- 3 continental slope
- 4 abyssal plain
- 5 seamount
continental shelf
noun
: a shallow submarine plain of varying width forming a border to a continent and typically ending in a comparatively steep slope to the deep ocean floor
Examples of continental shelf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some adult females, outside of breeding season, travel far past the continental shelf to find food, while others stay close to land.
—
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Outside of breeding season, some adult females travel far past the continental shelf hunting food while others stay close to land.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Their lineup drops off more steeply than a continental shelf, and their entire coaching staff is feeling the heat.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Informed by models of oceans on Earth, California Institute of Technology geologists Abdallah Zaki and Michael Lamb studied topographic data of Mars taken by orbiters to find a flat band of land like a continental shelf, suggesting an ocean once roiled in the Martian northern hemisphere.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
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Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Outside of breeding season, some adult females travel far past the continental shelf hunting food while others stay close to land.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Their lineup drops off more steeply than a continental shelf, and their entire coaching staff is feeling the heat.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Informed by models of oceans on Earth, California Institute of Technology geologists Abdallah Zaki and Michael Lamb studied topographic data of Mars taken by orbiters to find a flat band of land like a continental shelf, suggesting an ocean once roiled in the Martian northern hemisphere.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for continental shelf
Cite this Entry
“Continental shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continental%20shelf. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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