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
Synonyms
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
Icy Repose by Sue Flood A Weddell seal reclines on an ice floe in Neko Harbor, an inlet on the Antarctic Peninsula.
—
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
To explain the difference between Tesla's system and CCS, Sun holds up a chunk of black plastic with round holes in it — the charging inlet of a vehicle on the CCS system.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
Waln was discovered in the woods of the recreation area, a small park off an inlet of Percy Priest Lake.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 13 Dec. 2024
Coho and especially Chinook salmon stocks spiked this year in Vancouver Island and its inlets, according to the Pacific Salmon Foundation, after years of downturn.
—Jules Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inlet 
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Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
To explain the difference between Tesla's system and CCS, Sun holds up a chunk of black plastic with round holes in it — the charging inlet of a vehicle on the CCS system.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
Waln was discovered in the woods of the recreation area, a small park off an inlet of Percy Priest Lake.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 13 Dec. 2024
Coho and especially Chinook salmon stocks spiked this year in Vancouver Island and its inlets, according to the Pacific Salmon Foundation, after years of downturn.
—Jules Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inlet
Dictionary Entries Near inlet
Cite this Entry
“Inlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inlet. Accessed 22 Jan. 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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