shoaled; shoaling; shoals
: to become shallow
1
: to come to a shallow or less deep part of
2
: to cause to become shallow or less deep
Synonyms
Examples of shoal in a Sentence
Adjective
shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore
Noun (1)
the shoals off Nantucket Island are famous as the final resting places of many ill-fated ships
Recent Examples on the Web
Grrlscientist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
They were designed to ferry enormous loads in their holds, up and down the Thames and its nearby rivers and estuaries, in shallow, shoaling waters, subject to notorious tides and nervous wind.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2024
Hope is always crashing against the shoals of disappointment.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shoal 
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.
Verb
These handsome shoaling fish have brilliant black and white vertical stripes.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
They were designed to ferry enormous loads in their holds, up and down the Thames and its nearby rivers and estuaries, in shallow, shoaling waters, subject to notorious tides and nervous wind.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
Noun
Ocean currents, winds, and Nantucket’s many coastal shoals make every site unique.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2024
Hope is always crashing against the shoals of disappointment.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shoal
Articles Related to shoal
Dictionary Entries Near shoal
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoal. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shoal
1 of 3 adjective
: shallow entry 1 sense 1
shoal water
shoal
2 of 3 noun1
: a place where a sea, lake, or river is shallow
2
: a sandbank or sandbar just below the surface of the water
shoal
3 of 3 noun
: school entry 3
a shoal of pilot fish
Etymology
Adjective
Old English sceald "shallow"
Noun
Old English scolu "great number"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share