often attributive
1
: the land bordering a usually large body of water
specifically
: coast
2
: a boundary (as of a country) or an area within a boundary
—usually used in plural
immigrated to these shores
3
: land as distinguished from the sea
shipboard and shore duty
: a prop for preventing sinking or sagging
shored; shoring
Examples of shore in a Sentence
Noun (2)
the carpenter placed a shore underneath the sagging roof of the porch
Verb
a highway tunnel shored up by massive columns of concrete
used an avalanche of statistics to shore up his claim that the state's economy is in fine shape
Recent Examples on the Web
Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Her 20-year journey (and counting) to prove her hypothesis—and the exciting new discovery of a submerged ancient port several miles off the Mediterranean shore that was likely once part of that temple—are chronicled in Cleopatra's Final Secret, a new documentary film from National Geographic.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
The child then somehow managed to swim more than 100 yards to shore and seek help at a nearby home in Shrewsbury, a town located approximately 40 miles west of Boston.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shore
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Noun
However, when the right weather pattern develops — such as a ridge of high pressure overhead and off shore winds — 100-degree days can continue through the end of September, the weather service said.
—Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Her 20-year journey (and counting) to prove her hypothesis—and the exciting new discovery of a submerged ancient port several miles off the Mediterranean shore that was likely once part of that temple—are chronicled in Cleopatra's Final Secret, a new documentary film from National Geographic.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
This week’s recognitions do nothing, in practice, to give the PA more capacity or shore it up against Israeli aggression.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
The child then somehow managed to swim more than 100 yards to shore and seek help at a nearby home in Shrewsbury, a town located approximately 40 miles west of Boston.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shore
Cite this Entry
“Shore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shore. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shore
1 of 3 noun
ˈshō(ə)r 
ˈshȯ(ə)r
: the land along the edge of a body of water (as the sea)
shore
2 of 3 verb
shored; shoring
: to support with one or more bracing timbers
shore up a house foundation
shore
3 of 3 noun
: a prop or support placed under or against something to support it
Etymology
Noun
Middle English shore "the land on the edge of a body of water"
Verb
Middle English shoren "to support, brace"
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