1
a
: a loose granular material that results from the disintegration of rocks, consists of particles smaller than gravel but coarser than silt, and is used in mortar, glass, abrasives, and foundry molds
b
: soil containing 85 percent or more of sand and a maximum of 10 percent of clay
broadly
: sandy soil
3
: the sand in an hourglass
also
: the moments of a lifetime
—usually used in plural
the sands of this government run out very rapidly —
H. J. Laski
H. J. Laski 4
: an oil-producing formation of sandstone or unconsolidated sand
5
: firm resolution
6
: a yellowish-gray color
sanded; sanding; sands
1
: to sprinkle or dust with or as if with sand
2
: to cover or fill with sand
3
: to smooth or dress by grinding or rubbing with an abrasive (such as sandpaper)
Synonyms
Examples of sand in a Sentence
Noun
The beaches are covered with pinkish sand.
I have sand in my shoe.
The children are playing in the sand.
She walked across the hot sand.
Verb
You should sand the shelf before painting it.
Be sure to sand before you paint the shelf.
The streets are slippery because they haven't been sanded yet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The country itself is the fourth wealthiest in the EU, with a GDP per capita of $52,000 (€48,000) and the CIA World Factbook lists its natural resources as petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024
The typical modern player is a lone, distant figure, emerging to issue platitudes about remaining in the moment, taking it one game at a time, the language itself sanded down to an anodyne pallor.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sand 
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Noun
First, the competitors must dig through the sand to retrieve a key.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The country itself is the fourth wealthiest in the EU, with a GDP per capita of $52,000 (€48,000) and the CIA World Factbook lists its natural resources as petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Stubborn stains may require you to sand down and restore the wood.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024
The typical modern player is a lone, distant figure, emerging to issue platitudes about remaining in the moment, taking it one game at a time, the language itself sanded down to an anodyne pallor.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sand
Dictionary Entries Near sand
Cite this Entry
“Sand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sand. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sand
1 of 2 noun1
: loose material in grains produced by the natural breaking up of rocks
2
: a soil made up mostly of sand
sand
2 of 2 verb1
: to sprinkle with sand
2
: to smooth by rubbing with sandpaper
Medical Definition
sand
noun
: gritty particles in various body tissues or fluids see brain sand
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