shoal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈshōl How to pronounce shoal (audio)
Definition of shoalnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shoal

2 of 2

noun

as in bank
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow the shoals off Nantucket Island are famous as the final resting places of many ill-fated ships

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shoal
Noun
The Philippine military later said Chinese ships had used water cannon as well as dangerous navigational techniques to try to block an effort to resupply Philippine fishermen around the shoal. — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 The Philippine coast guard, however, said the two fishing vessels were harassed while bringing fuel aid to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough shoal. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the encounter occurred near the BRP Sierra Madre, the warship Manila grounded on the shoal almost 30 years ago to anchor its claim. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Proud papa Luke showed off Tate’s first shoal bass catch during their father-son fishing trip. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoal
  1. shallow
  2. bank
Adjective
  • One of the tests involved placing Ring Leaper into a shallow tub of water before shining infrared light on it.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Right fielder Jordan Walker and second baseman José Fermín both raced after Betts’ shallow fly.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of shallow
Noun
  • Johnson had also issued an arrest warrant against him in March, ruling him in contempt of court at that time over failing to turn over the financial documents, including state and federal tax returns along with bank statements and other filings.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The investment bank also expects euro’s technical advantage to narrow with the dollar as hyperscalers are watching beyond the dollar market for funding, noting that EUR IG credit represents the largest alternative public debt market.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bank

Browse Nearby Words

shivs
shoal
shoals
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Cite this Entry

“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoal. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shoal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shoal

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