1
a
: a bay or recess in the shore of a sea, lake, or river
also
: creek
b
: a narrow water passage between peninsulas or through a barrier island leading to a bay or lagoon
2
: a way of entering
especially
: an opening for intake
Examples of inlet in a Sentence
The coast is dotted with tiny inlets.
went fishing in the quiet inlets of the coast
Recent Examples on the Web
The quarantine area extends along the California coastline from Oregon to the Mexican border — including all bays, inlets and harbors in Los Angeles County, according to public health officials.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
West Side On a map, Antigua vaguely resembles an oblong circle, its jagged coastline interrupted by bays, peninsulas, and tiny inlets that hide each of its 365 beaches.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2025
Jupiter Dive Center offers snorkeling tours near the Jupiter Lighthouse inlet to see starfish, crabs, and maybe a manatee passing through.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
As the boat of partiers zooms away into the choppy waters of the Boca Raton inlet, the video pans out to the spread of debris left floating in their wake.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inlet
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Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
West Side On a map, Antigua vaguely resembles an oblong circle, its jagged coastline interrupted by bays, peninsulas, and tiny inlets that hide each of its 365 beaches.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2025
Jupiter Dive Center offers snorkeling tours near the Jupiter Lighthouse inlet to see starfish, crabs, and maybe a manatee passing through.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
As the boat of partiers zooms away into the choppy waters of the Boca Raton inlet, the video pans out to the spread of debris left floating in their wake.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inlet
Cite this Entry
“Inlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inlet. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inlet
noun
in·let
ˈin-ˌlet 
-lət
1
: a small or narrow bay
2
: an opening for intake especially of fluids
Medical Definition
inlet
noun
in·let
ˈin-ˌlet, -lət
: the upper opening of a bodily cavity
especially
: that of the cavity of the true pelvis bounded by the pelvic brim
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