as in shallow
lacking significant physical depth
shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore
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Recent Examples of shoal
Brian Higgins, Outside, 2 Mar. 2026
Under the cover of night on July 30, 1949, the Amethyst quenched all its lights on board and shadowed a passing Chinese merchant ship, the Kiangling Liberation, following it through the tricky shoals of the river.
—Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Noun
As the southern Gulf Stream clashes with the northern Labrador Current, the rough waters steer sailors toward shallow shoals and ultimate disaster.
—Brian Higgins, Outside, 2 Mar. 2026
Under the cover of night on July 30, 1949, the Amethyst quenched all its lights on board and shadowed a passing Chinese merchant ship, the Kiangling Liberation, following it through the tricky shoals of the river.
—Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
Adjective
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Sophomore reliever Mason Almazan coaxed a shallow fly out with a runner at third to end the game.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Internal documents from Blue Hills, however, show the influence McCrory exercised over the state taxpayer money that arrived in Blue Hills’ bank accounts between 2022 and 2025.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
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Federal officials say possible foul play is suspected, noting Hou’s bank accounts were depleted before law enforcement was even notified of his disappearance.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoal. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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