barrier reef

noun

Definition of barrier reefnext
as in coral reef

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of barrier reef Known for powdery white sand and an off-coast barrier reef, Gray Bay Beach is easy to access for any traveler. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2025 Grace Bay consistently ranks among the world’s most beautiful beaches, partly because a barrier reef a mile offshore keeps the waters calm and free of swells. — Vanita Salisbury, AFAR Media, 6 Nov. 2025 The fourth-largest barrier reef in the world, Anegada's Horseshoe Reef draws beginner snorkelers and dedicated divers to colorful corals hiding sublime marine life. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026 Just offshore lies the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest barrier reef system in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest in the world, an extremely vulnerable ecosystem. — Natalie Leticia Gallón, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barrier reef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barrier reef
coral reef
Noun
  • Most gather around the Abrolhos Bank, a coral reef region spanning the coasts of Bahia and Espirito Santo that is one of the South Atlantic’s most biodiverse marine environments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • From Key Largo to Key West, the Overseas Highway strings the islands together like beads, running past lighthouses, underwater coral reef parks, and across the postcard-worthy Seven Mile Bridge.
    — Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026
Definition of coral reef

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barrier
barrier reef
barrier reefs
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Cite this Entry

“Barrier reef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barrier%20reef. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barrier reef

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrier reef

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