as in bays
an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar
Beyond the beach there was a picturesque blue lagoon.
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Recent Examples of lagoons
Nearby, explore downtown Playa del Carmen or visit Xcaret, an eco-archaeological park that offers the opportunity to swim in underground rivers or float in lagoons, among other activities.
—
Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Here, breathtaking landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, freckled with twinkling lagoons and clusters of thick forests, framed by gentle slopes and hills beyond.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Centuries ago, the Maya cut a slender channel through dense mangrove forests to facilitate transportation between two technicolor lagoons.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Each of those projects was similar to the work needed at Buena Vista and included the side benefit of using the sand taken from the lagoons to widen nearby eroded beaches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Originally a mix of swamps and lagoons, Albert Park received its name in 1864 to honor Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Greenland has polar bears, Iceland its famous hot springs lagoons, Sweden is synonymous with saunas, and another renowned winter fun destination is Finland’s extremely snowy Lapland.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow, protected lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals have congregated for eons to calf, nurse and breed, said Steven Swartz, a marine scientist who has studied gray whales since 1977.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Here, breathtaking landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, freckled with twinkling lagoons and clusters of thick forests, framed by gentle slopes and hills beyond.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Centuries ago, the Maya cut a slender channel through dense mangrove forests to facilitate transportation between two technicolor lagoons.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Each of those projects was similar to the work needed at Buena Vista and included the side benefit of using the sand taken from the lagoons to widen nearby eroded beaches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Originally a mix of swamps and lagoons, Albert Park received its name in 1864 to honor Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Greenland has polar bears, Iceland its famous hot springs lagoons, Sweden is synonymous with saunas, and another renowned winter fun destination is Finland’s extremely snowy Lapland.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow, protected lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals have congregated for eons to calf, nurse and breed, said Steven Swartz, a marine scientist who has studied gray whales since 1977.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagoons
Noun
-
Top 5 Can’t Miss Sleep on the shores of one of Japan’s most scenic bays in the upscale Matsushima Sakan Shoan ryokan.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Others, like the ribbon weed that grows in the bays of Gathaagudu, Australia, poke their flowers from tiny spikes atop leafless stems.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As gray dawn seeped into the mountain woods, the wildlife symphony rang down the ridges and through the high coves.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
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There are a couple of sandy beaches, but most are rocky, and the island is ringed by pretty inlets and coves.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Zigzagging through the Norwegian fjords and pulling into this tiny town, with straight-up-and-down mountains and waterfalls all around you, is just… wow.—
Ashlea Halpern,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Indulge in the Arctic summer with a glass of wine on the water-facing patio after a day of hiking the fjords.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a new study, Daniel Petras, a biochemist at UC Riverside — together with 29 researchers from around the world — looked at 2,315 seawater samples collected from estuaries, coastal regions, coral reefs and the open ocean.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
These sharks are thought to be bottom-feeders, preying on fish that frequent the floors of rivers and estuaries.—
John P. Rafferty,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bear cans are a must, as are sturdy shoes with solid treads and waterproof footwear to cross creeks.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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The deep southern creeks were once like this — serene, thick with fish, and loud with birds.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
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Crowds also jammed the surrounding roads and beaches, reminiscent of the Apollo moonshots in the 1960s and ’70s.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lagoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagoons. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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