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
Soaring green mountains encircled the glittering, fjord-like inlet, and the bronzed and the beautiful streamed past our car clutching Dior and Bulgari shopping bags.
—
Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025
Likewise, the black trapezoid (cheek) sections found previously below each headlight are now body-coloured on Sport models, and have been replaced entirely with sharp inlets on M Sport models; the headlights are new too.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
For maximum efficiency, the underbody features a flat plate, and inlets push hot air away from the car while the parabolic line along the side directs airflow toward the rear diffuser.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for inlet
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025
Likewise, the black trapezoid (cheek) sections found previously below each headlight are now body-coloured on Sport models, and have been replaced entirely with sharp inlets on M Sport models; the headlights are new too.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
For maximum efficiency, the underbody features a flat plate, and inlets push hot air away from the car while the parabolic line along the side directs airflow toward the rear diffuser.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for inlet
Cite this Entry
“Inlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inlet. Accessed 5 Jun. 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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