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Synonyms

inlet

American  
[in-let, -lit, in-let, in-let] / ˈɪn lɛt, -lɪt, ˈɪnˌlɛt, ɪnˈlɛt /

noun

  1. an indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow; small bay or arm.

  2. a narrow passage between islands.

  3. a place of admission; entrance.

  4. something put in or inserted.

verb (used with object)

inlet, inletting

  1. to put in; insert.

inlet British  

noun

  1. a narrow inland opening of the coastline

  2. an entrance or opening

  3. the act of letting someone or something in

  4. something let in or inserted

    1. a passage, valve, or part through which a substance, esp a fluid, enters a device or machine

    2. ( as modifier )

      an inlet valve
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to insert or inlay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inlet

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; in, let 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

First, the pipes will be fed by new wide inlet heads, which slow the water so that fish are not sucked in.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney however expressed dismay that he had only heard about the tanker being in the Scottish inlet of Moray Firth via media reports.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

A more extensive upgrade that moves the position of that engine’s air inlet is set to be available for new aircraft deliveries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

Tomales Bay is a long inlet off the Pacific, about 15 miles long and a mile wide.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

He wasn’t at the inlet where I expected to find him.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.