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
Michael Fiorentino, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
As sea life off the coast of mainland Madagascar has declined even faster, many fishermen and their families choose to make the long journey to the Barren Isles.
—Sira Thierij, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2024
The dining room was all warm, wooden paneling that undulated across the ceiling, booths like half-moons and mostly quiet tables ogling each course … and the champagne cart that coasted throughout the room.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast 
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.
Noun
The tsunami, which was triggered by a powerful 9.3-magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Indonesia, is considered the deadliest natural disaster this century and one of the deadliest in recorded history.
—Michael Fiorentino, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
As sea life off the coast of mainland Madagascar has declined even faster, many fishermen and their families choose to make the long journey to the Barren Isles.
—Sira Thierij, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
The Celtics, after coasting through the first half through impressive shot-making, had to clamp down.
—Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2024
The dining room was all warm, wooden paneling that undulated across the ceiling, booths like half-moons and mostly quiet tables ogling each course … and the champagne cart that coasted throughout the room.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 18 Dec. 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 30 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share