1
: the land near a shore : seashore
3
a
: a hill or slope suited to coasting
b
: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)
4
often capitalized
: the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
—used in the phrase the coast is clear
coasted; coasting; coasts
1
obsolete
: to move along or past the side of : skirt
2
: to sail along the shore of
1
a
archaic
: to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something
b
: to sail along the shore
2
a
: to slide, run, or glide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along without or as if without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)
c
: to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern
coasted through school
—often used with ona company coasting on its good reputation
Synonyms
Examples of coast in a Sentence
Noun
He lives on the coast.
He's flying out to the Coast tomorrow.
Verb
The car coasted to a stop.
The airplane coasted down the runway.
The children coasted on sleds down the snowy hill.
They came coasting down the hill on bicycles.
After taking a big lead, the team coasted to victory.
He was accused of trying to coast through school.
She decided she could coast along without a job for the next few months.
The company is coasting on its good reputation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Keatts, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
By Sunday, rainfall totals could exceed 10 inches along the coast in Eureka and Mendocino County, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a flood watch for that area through Thursday.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2024
The album is flat, coasting on cascades of lyrical cliches and musical ideas that rarely crest.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The plant is overwhelmed by Tijuana sewage and dumps millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, creating an ongoing environmental justice crisis along the South County coast.
—Andrew Keatts, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
By Sunday, rainfall totals could exceed 10 inches along the coast in Eureka and Mendocino County, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a flood watch for that area through Thursday.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
Located in a state that's deep blue on the presidential level, this suburb was represented for a long time in Congress by senior Democrats like Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey, both of whom coasted to reelection with nominal opposition in older versions of this district.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2024
The album is flat, coasting on cascades of lyrical cliches and musical ideas that rarely crest.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast
Dictionary Entries Near coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coast
2 of 2 verb1
: to sail along the shore of
2
a
: to slide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along (as on a bicycle when not pedaling) without applying power
3
: to succeed without special effort
coasted through school
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