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 Coast
: the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
—used in the phrase the coast is clear
see also:
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
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
Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Highs will be in the low to mid-60s in Napa and Novato, with cooler readings along the immediate coast.
—Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Amber Gibson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
The state has been voting about 60% Democrat to 40% Republican in general elections, and a sole Democrat in the November contest would probably coast to victory, Mitchell said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coast
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Wind gusts could reach advisory levels of 45 mph across the western parts of the south coast on Thursday, according to the weather service.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Highs will be in the low to mid-60s in Napa and Novato, with cooler readings along the immediate coast.
—Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Diners had lower expectations and chefs could get away with coasting.
—Amber Gibson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
The state has been voting about 60% Democrat to 40% Republican in general elections, and a sole Democrat in the November contest would probably coast to victory, Mitchell said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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
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