Illustration of continental shelf
- 1 seashore
- 2 continental shelf
- 3 continental slope
- 4 abyssal plain
- 5 seamount
continental shelf
noun
: a shallow submarine plain of varying width forming a border to a continent and typically ending in a comparatively steep slope to the deep ocean floor
Examples of continental shelf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As such, it is not entitled to an EEZ or continental shelf.
—
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
The 2016 Philippines-China arbitration ruling classifies Scarborough Shoal as a rock, which is therefore entitled to a territorial sea but not an EEZ or continental shelf.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Sheinbaum argues Trump’s executive order only applied to the area of the continental shelf under U.S. control.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 9 May 2025
The United States has unilaterally expanded its continental shelf, approved deep-sea mining in national and international waters without waiting for global rules, and exited negotiations to curb shipping emissions.
—Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for continental shelf
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Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
The 2016 Philippines-China arbitration ruling classifies Scarborough Shoal as a rock, which is therefore entitled to a territorial sea but not an EEZ or continental shelf.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Sheinbaum argues Trump’s executive order only applied to the area of the continental shelf under U.S. control.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 9 May 2025
The United States has unilaterally expanded its continental shelf, approved deep-sea mining in national and international waters without waiting for global rules, and exited negotiations to curb shipping emissions.
—Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for continental shelf
Cite this Entry
“Continental shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continental%20shelf. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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