coral reef

noun

Synonyms of coral reefnext
: a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water

Examples of coral reef in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As keystone species, parrotfish play a critical part in maintaining coral reef health by grazing on macroalgae that would otherwise suffocate coral—clearing space for reefs to regenerate. — Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Long, elegant Eleuthera, one of the gems of the Bahamas’ Out Islands, shares the assets of its country—crystal-clear turquoise seas, coral reefs with vibrant marine life, pink- and white-sand beaches, and stunning stretches of rocky shoreline. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025 Warm water has caused severe bleaching of coral reefs over the past year, fueled tropical and subtropical storms and exacerbated the loss of sea ice. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025 For some time now, stationary underwater acoustic recorders have been used to log the ambient soundtracks of coral reefs as their inhabitants vocalize, eat, dig dens, or otherwise produce noises. — Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coral reef

Rhymes for coral reef

See All Rhymes for coral reef

Browse Nearby Words

coral red
coral reef
coral-reef limestone
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coral reef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coral%20reef. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

coral reef

noun
: a reef made up of corals, other organic substances, and limestone

More from Merriam-Webster on coral reef

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for coral reef

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All