sea wall

American  

noun

1. a strong wall or embankment to prevent the encroachments of the sea, serve as a breakwater, etc.

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sea wall British  

noun

1. a wall or embankment built to prevent encroachment or erosion by the sea or to serve as a breakwater

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Other Word Forms

• sea-walled adjective

Etymology

Origin of sea wall

before 1000; Middle English; Old English: cliff over the sea

Example Sentences

The only railway line to the south-west of England has been partially shut until further notice after a sea wall next to it crumbled in a storm.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Bundy and the mayor led a driving tour of the shattered coastline, stopping at one property where the destruction of a home revealed a sea wall below with a pre-existing sinkhole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

"If I was lucky, my partner would appear, hidden on the sea wall in Southsea somewhere, discreetly waving as I departed for eight months."

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Last December, eight people in Ventura sustained moderate injuries after being struck by a massive rogue wave that swept over a sea wall and flooded area streets.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2024

I’ll never forget that tall, lonely figure standing on the sea wall The S.S.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor