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
Austin Mullen, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Los Blancos should be in good shape for this fixture having had an extended rest period due to the postponement of their fixture against Valencia at the weekend following major flooding in the city on Spain’s east coast.
—Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
Gone are the days when Milwaukee could coast through games against lesser opponents.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coast 
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Noun
The company secured a federal contract to run a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island off the coast of South Carolina, also known as Monkey Island.
—Austin Mullen, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Los Blancos should be in good shape for this fixture having had an extended rest period due to the postponement of their fixture against Valencia at the weekend following major flooding in the city on Spain’s east coast.
—Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The problem is this: no one has the heart to tell him his presidency is coasting in lame-duck status with every passing week, especially with an absentee Congress looking at its own re-election bids.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
Gone are the days when Milwaukee could coast through games against lesser opponents.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 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 21 Nov. 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
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