as in banks
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow
didn't attempt getting the horses across the stream until we had reached the ford
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Recent Examples of fords
Stirling’s forces surrounded the unprepared Aboriginal people, taking positions across the river and at the fords above and below the camp.
—
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fords
Noun
-
Trump has signed executive orders to reduce housing regulatory burdens and help smaller banks provide mortgages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
Newcastle is part of Tyneside, an area around the banks of the River Tyne that has been shaped by industry, a context that flows through A Great Day in Newcastle.—
Archie Forde,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
“Fords.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fords. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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