as in estuaries
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
in his biography of Samuel Johnson, James Boswell tells of being conducted by a Scottish boatman "across one of the lochs, as they call them, or arms of the sea"
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Recent Examples of lochs
Cruising through one of the park’s 22 larger lochs is essential; several tour operators, including Cruise Loch Lomond and Sweeney’s Cruise Co, sail from ports around the park.
—
Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
The mammals thrive across habitats from inland rivers and lochs to rugged coastal environments.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Located on the shores of Loch Linnhe, one of 31,000 freshwater lochs in Scotland, Fort William sits in the shadow of Ben Nevis, at 4,490 feet the highest peak in Britain.
—Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Curling is a game of tradition, first played centuries ago on Scottish lochs, where players slide heavy granite rocks down a sheet of ice toward a target.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
While an exact date can’t be pinpointed, according to the World Curling Federation, the sport was played during its early stages on frozen lochs and ponds in northern Europe.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Created by sculptor Andy Scott, the kelpies — shape-shifting mythical creatures from Scottish folklore that live in the country's famous lochs — were completed in 2013.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The stones stand between two lochs on the largest of the Orkney Islands, off the northeastern tip of mainland Scotland.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
What with its rippling mountains, meditative lochs, and misty woodlands, Scotland’s moody atmosphere hits its stride in the cooler seasons.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2025
Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
The mammals thrive across habitats from inland rivers and lochs to rugged coastal environments.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Located on the shores of Loch Linnhe, one of 31,000 freshwater lochs in Scotland, Fort William sits in the shadow of Ben Nevis, at 4,490 feet the highest peak in Britain.
—Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Curling is a game of tradition, first played centuries ago on Scottish lochs, where players slide heavy granite rocks down a sheet of ice toward a target.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
While an exact date can’t be pinpointed, according to the World Curling Federation, the sport was played during its early stages on frozen lochs and ponds in northern Europe.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Created by sculptor Andy Scott, the kelpies — shape-shifting mythical creatures from Scottish folklore that live in the country's famous lochs — were completed in 2013.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The stones stand between two lochs on the largest of the Orkney Islands, off the northeastern tip of mainland Scotland.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
What with its rippling mountains, meditative lochs, and misty woodlands, Scotland’s moody atmosphere hits its stride in the cooler seasons.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lochs
Noun
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Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
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Whether white shrimp from estuaries, or pink, brown, and Royal Red shrimp from the bay, or fin fish beyond Dauphin Island found in the deeper waters of the Gulf, seafood is woven into Mobile’s signature recipes.—
Anne Byrn,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The two-story facility includes new truck storage, maintenance bays, a salt-storage shed, and a fuel island.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Wineries, orchards, and gourmet eats dot the area around Traverse City’s lakes and bays.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The rear bumper has a cleaner look, as does the front end, which has a simplified version of the previous split-lighting arrangement of daytime running lights above rectangular headlights nestled in coves that also house the intakes for the front-wheel air curtains.—
Stephen Edelstein,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2026
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The rendering of the forthcoming destination shows multiple coves filled with the Bahamas' famous turquoise water and bright aragonite sand, as well as various pools cruisers can take advantage of during their stop on the island.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lochs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lochs. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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