How to Use cay in a Sentence

cay

noun
  • What used to be a cay is now a spit of sand encircled by a coral reef.
    — Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022
  • In the south, watery cays and island scrub show nature’s blitzkrieg.
    — Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2019
  • At the top, we were rewarded with sweeping views over the turquoise flats and nearby cays.
    — Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Stretching over an enormous area, it is made up of thousands of reefs, islands, and cays.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026
  • The road from Freeport to the cays to reach survivors was impassible.
    — Dan Sweeney, sun-sentinel.com, 10 Sep. 2019
  • This beautiful cay gets its name from its past as a Protestant burial ground.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
  • And what about sea level rise, and the fate of most of the other sandy cays in the Canal de l’Est?
    — Dana Snitzky, Longreads, 20 Feb. 2018
  • The Bahamas consists of more than 700 islands and many more cays.
    — Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2019
  • Get the best views on a boat tour around some of the archipelago's islands and secluded cays.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
  • You’re bound to find your perfect beach on the mainland and on one of the tiny, neighboring cays only a short boat ride away.
    — Gina Kramer, USA TODAY, 28 May 2024
  • The trip goes awry as their party boat crashes and leaves the two as the lone survivors on a Caribbean cay.
    — Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2024
  • The unspoiled cays are home to a national marine park, where visitors can snorkel with sea turtles.
    — Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
  • Sandy Island is a small cay off Sandy Ground beach in Anguilla.
    — Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2021
  • Snorkel on your own around a small cay, or book a trip with one of the island's operators to check out its secret underwater spots.
    — Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2025
  • On smaller islands and cays, the evacuations had to be done by boat or helicopter, as bridges were washed out and roads impassable.
    — Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2019
  • Boaters and sailors can island hop among the myriad cays, stopping to swim, dive, and snorkel, or to enjoy refreshments at a colorful beach bar.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
  • Each lodging also comes with its own powerboat, perfect for exploring nearby islets and hopping over to the marinas at nearby cays.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Among the popular activities in the cays are swimming and snorkeling.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • The dead included the vessel’s captain, a cook, a crewman, 19 lobster divers and five cay residents.
    — Washington Post, 5 July 2019
  • Tidal surges from the storm were projected to reach up to 23 feet above normal levels, saturating low-lying cays and islands.
    — Author: Jasper Ward, Anthony Faiola, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2019
  • Exuma is made up of 365 cays and islands with the largest being Great Exuma.
    — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 1 May 2017
  • Bequia is the gateway to the 32 islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines, so a trip to the island isn't complete with taking to the seas.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Bequia is the gateway to the 32 islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines, so a trip to the island isn't complete with taking to the seas.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Bequia is the gateway to the 32 islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines, so a trip to the island isn't complete with taking to the seas.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Actually, both Paul and Ringo seemed to go home rather unfazed by their little vay-cay in the Inner Light.
    — Morgan Enos, Billboard, 27 Apr. 2018
  • Claims that the island of Great Exuma is a remote private cay with no infrastructure are also patently false.
    — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 1 May 2017
  • Separated by labyrinths of creeks and smaller cays, each one represents a stepping stone away from civilization, Parrish told me.
    — Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Made up of 40 islands and cays, Turks and Caicos is renowned for its stunning beaches, but there's more to the archipelago than white sands and turquoise waters.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The archipelago of eight major islands and dozens of small, uninhabited cays comes surrounded by some of the clearest and bluest waters on earth, which lap against the soft-sand shores.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2023
  • According to the tourism board, slightly more than half of all visitors to the British overseas territory’s 60 islands and cays stay on yachts.
    — Elaine Glusac, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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