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
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
Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
McSorley, fatigued and with his radars on the blink, may have unwittingly bottomed out the boat on a shoal, damaging the plating underneath.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
These handsome shoaling fish have brilliant black and white vertical stripes.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shoal
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Noun
The debris appears as a large cloud of dirty water seen beyond the shoals off Montego Bay.
—Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
McSorley, fatigued and with his radars on the blink, may have unwittingly bottomed out the boat on a shoal, damaging the plating underneath.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
Frese noted that this coloration pattern may indicate a shoaling behavior, in which fish gather in loose social groups.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
These handsome shoaling fish have brilliant black and white vertical stripes.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shoal
Cite this Entry
“Shoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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"
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