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.
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Recent Examples of sandbars
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
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
River shorelines and sandbars pose unseen dangers.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Rip currents are more likely to develop when a coastline is more complex, in terms of either the visible shore—a feature such as a jetty or a rocky point can trigger rip currents—or the underwater topography of sandbars that raise the ocean floor.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
By afternoon, the tide reveals hidden sandbars perfect for wading toward the horizon—where sea and sky melt in endless sapphire.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
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
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
River shorelines and sandbars pose unseen dangers.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Rip currents are more likely to develop when a coastline is more complex, in terms of either the visible shore—a feature such as a jetty or a rocky point can trigger rip currents—or the underwater topography of sandbars that raise the ocean floor.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
By afternoon, the tide reveals hidden sandbars perfect for wading toward the horizon—where sea and sky melt in endless sapphire.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 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, and the South Boundary Trail, which winds along the eastern side of the main dune area.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At the 2010 Games, the USA and Canada filed protests against British athlete Amy Williams, arguing that her helmet had small ridges on it that gave her an unfair advantage.—
Outside,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The effect is often created over a metallic base or beneath chrome dust to accentuate the ridges.—
Rosa Pyo,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.—
Brett Kelman,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Cars were also forced off the road and shoved into embankments.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Waters off the point are treacherous, including colliding currents, shoals and sandbars.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.—
Avery Schmitz,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sandbars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbars. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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