sandbank

American  

[sand-bangk] / ˈsændˌbæŋk /

Or sand bank

noun

1. a large mass of sand, as on a shoal or hillside.

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sandbank British  

/ ˈsændˌbæŋk /

noun

1. a submerged bank of sand in a sea or river, that may be exposed at low tide

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Etymology

Origin of sandbank

First recorded in 1580–90; sand + bank ¹

Example Sentences

The corridor ends in a sandbank, which is easy to get over into a second chamber, but "which could limit visibility" when attempting to leave again, Marroni said.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

First spotted in German coastal waters in early March, the whale is thought to have become entangled in netting before eventually becoming stranded on a sandbank on Timmendorfer Strand, near the town of Travemünde.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The 344 huts on the sandbank near Christchurch can only be used overnight for part of the year but can sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The stricken vessel was later found on a sandbank.

From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026

On the sandbank she found not one but five of the precious wheels, and passing the cord through their softening centers, she swam heavily back, pulling them behind her.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• reef