Suez

American  

[soo-ez, soo-ez] / suˈɛz, ˈsu ɛz /

noun

1. a seaport in NE Egypt, near the S end of the Suez Canal.

2. Gulf of, a NW arm of the Red Sea, W of the Sinai Peninsula.

3. Isthmus of, an isthmus in NE Egypt, joining Africa and Asia. 72 miles (116 km) wide.

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Suez British  

/ ˈsuːɪz /

noun

1. a port in NE Egypt, at the head of the Gulf of Suez at the S end of the Suez Canal: an ancient trading site and a major naval station under the Ottoman Empire; port of departure for pilgrims to Mecca; oil-refining centre. It suffered severely in the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 1967 and 1973. Pop: 513 000 (2005 est)

2. a strip of land in NE Egypt, between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea: links Africa and Asia and is crossed by the Suez Canal

3. the NW arm of the Red Sea: linked with the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal

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Example Sentences

When the Suez crisis erupted that year, Morris, reporting for the Guardian, exposed the role of French jets in aiding Israel’s advance into the Sinai Peninsula.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The analysts are expecting a “slow normalization” based on benchmarking today’s energy shock against every major one that’s taken place in the Middle East since the closure of the Suez Canal in 1956.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

In retrospect, the Suez crisis is seen as a turning point in 20th-century history.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

But the armed group has previously attacked shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which ships use to access the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal from the Indian Ocean.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

“Course it's safe, Debs! Five months cruising round the Adriatic, the Aegean, the Suez, and the Gulf? Worst that'll happen to me is sunburn.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell