as in dunes
a raised area of sand with a top that is near or just above the surface of the water in an ocean, lake, or river
We walked out onto the sandbar at low tide.
Related Words
Relevance
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 sandbars
For all of these creatures, the coast’s patchwork of barrier islands, beaches, sandbars, salt marshes, tidal creeks and estuaries are vitally important for survival.
—
Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 16 May 2026
The Central Exuma Cays are known for their shallow turquoise waters, sandbars and thriving marine ecosystems.
—Tracy Yochum, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
What's more, the trip includes photo-taking opportunities as well as a stop in Shell Key to bask in the sun on its beaches and sandbars.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
The location of the shootout, near Falcones Cay, is known for shallow waters, sandbars and beaches.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Uneven sandbars lifted and then dropped us in a slow-motion, repetitive dance on the sediment floor.
—Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Pristine disappearing sandbars are also a huge draw, allowing visitors to walk on powdery white stretches in the remarkably clear waters as the tides roll out.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Guides such as Eggleston place observers on sandbars at least 150 feet from the charismatic carnivores.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 16 May 2026
The Central Exuma Cays are known for their shallow turquoise waters, sandbars and thriving marine ecosystems.
—Tracy Yochum, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
What's more, the trip includes photo-taking opportunities as well as a stop in Shell Key to bask in the sun on its beaches and sandbars.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
The location of the shootout, near Falcones Cay, is known for shallow waters, sandbars and beaches.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Uneven sandbars lifted and then dropped us in a slow-motion, repetitive dance on the sediment floor.
—Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Pristine disappearing sandbars are also a huge draw, allowing visitors to walk on powdery white stretches in the remarkably clear waters as the tides roll out.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Guides such as Eggleston place observers on sandbars at least 150 feet from the charismatic carnivores.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sandbars
Noun
-
Many travelers opt to take a four-wheeler down the Sand Highway, a one-way trail into a canyon on the boundary of the dunes, or on the South Boundary Trail, which winds along the eastern side of the main dune area.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tucked away in south-central Washington, about 145 miles southeast of Seattle, the Yakima Valley stretches across fertile farmland framed by rolling hills, basalt ridges, and the winding Yakima River.—
Vivian Chung,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
-
The big rolling grassy landscapes, the dark ridges of pine and starry nights—these are all reasons why Wind Cave National Park remains one of my happy places.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
In the wake of the 2007 settlement, tents began to appear on the sidewalks, freeway embankments, overpasses, underpasses, civic plazas and public spaces everywhere in Los Angeles.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The East River Residence, which is suspended on thin columns, stretches across the valley like a bridge between two embankments, letting the terrain flow underneath it like water.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rose Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky heap of land in Narragansett Bay, guiding ships away from the shallow shoals of Newport Harbor.—
Madeline Bilis,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
-
As a result, the wide, shallow bay, with its lacework of shoals and basins, grows hot and hypersaline, killing seagrass, fueling algae blooms and hurting the economy of the Keys.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sandbars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbars. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
