as in beach
the usually sandy or gravelly land bordering a body of water
we went for a moonlight walk on the sands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in rubs
to make smooth by friction
painstakingly sanded down the wooden floors of the old house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sands
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Sunbeds and towels jostle for space like life-size Tetris pieces on the volcanic slate-gray sands of Lemesos's Dasoudi beach; farther along the coast, Malindi, a beach bar and restaurant, attracts a lunchtime crowd that lingers long after the sun has set.
—Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Uncooked rice grains loom over these sands.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The longstanding vacation spot basks in 343 sunny days a year, perfect for lounging on white-quartz sands or marveling at nature both above and below the water.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The Beach Tulum Nearly 300 feet of private, pristine, and adults-only beachfront make The Beach Tulum one of the quieter escapes on the sands of Tulum.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
As the sands of the drama business shift, there is opportunity as well as challenge, Capurro says.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
Alberta, home to Canada's oil sands and a longstanding grievance over energy policies, has frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government, especially over issues like carbon taxes, pipeline regulations and equalization payments.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Sunbeds and towels jostle for space like life-size Tetris pieces on the volcanic slate-gray sands of Lemesos's Dasoudi beach; farther along the coast, Malindi, a beach bar and restaurant, attracts a lunchtime crowd that lingers long after the sun has set.
—Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Uncooked rice grains loom over these sands.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The longstanding vacation spot basks in 343 sunny days a year, perfect for lounging on white-quartz sands or marveling at nature both above and below the water.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The Beach Tulum Nearly 300 feet of private, pristine, and adults-only beachfront make The Beach Tulum one of the quieter escapes on the sands of Tulum.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
As the sands of the drama business shift, there is opportunity as well as challenge, Capurro says.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Sawdust sprays as Matt Sams meticulously sands the edges of a balcony railing that will soon be affixed to the front of a house.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sands
Noun
-
Rough seas and dangerous rip currents led to a high volume of beach rescues on Friday, with 29 people pulled from the water in Fort Lauderdale and another nine in Pompano Beach.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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But ever since, the family has alleged individuals have encroached on their beach, forcing them to put up no trespassing signs and hire private security, according to a supplemental complaint filed by Brian against the Walton County Sheriff’s Office last year.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Give him lots of treats and belly rubs!—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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It can be added to marinades, soups, sauces, rubs, and is often on the table to be added to whatever dish is being served.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Her lawyer, Daniel Malakauskas, files the suits using the same script, with the business name and specific violations swapped out.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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The first batch At the statutory deadline for making the Epstein files public, the Justice Department released only some of them.—
Jennifer Peltz,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In one scene, her character polishes and admires the ring, allowing viewers a closer look at the remarkable stone.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
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The process polishes the gentle bonhomie that promises to transform even the smallest silences into celebrations.—
Archie Forde,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The all-metal body and burrs (the wheely thing that grinds the pepper) sounded promising.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Scrubbing a dry, dirty window just grinds grit into the glass.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sands. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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