sandcastle

[sand-kas-uhl, -kah-suhl]

noun

1. a small castlelike structure made of wet sand, as by children at a beach.

2. a plan or idea with little substance.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sandcastle¹

First recorded in 1850–55; sand + castle

Example Sentences

They’re working hard to make each square inch explorable, creating, at the time of the interview, a sandcastle to be hidden in the restroom.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Swimming, sailing, even just building a sandcastle - the ocean benefits our physical and mental wellbeing.

Read more on Salon

Either Biden’s decision to leave the race will save a deeply flawed democracy still in need of a reset, or the whole thing collapses in on itself like a sandcastle when it gets wet.

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His father’s family is Armenian, and in his novel “The Sandcastle Girls” and as an activist, the author has addressed the continuing slaughter of Armenians by Turkish Muslims.

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TORRES: I equate it to building a sandcastle where you don’t really start out with a blueprint.

Read more on Seattle Times