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

See Examples For:

sea wall

The storms that tore through Dawlish in 2014 prompted a five-phase project to build a new sea wall in the town, and a large rock shelter just down the line.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 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

He pointed out the newly elevated sea wall, which provided both a scenic walking path and a bulwark against coastal flooding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

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

If she isn’t home, I walk down to the end of the historic cobbled street and find her standing on the sea wall in her raincoat and no shoes, glaring at the ocean.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver