coast guard

noun

1
: a military or naval force employed in guarding a coast or responsible for the safety, order, and operation of maritime traffic in neighboring waters
2
usually coastguard
ˈkōs(t)-ˌgärd How to pronounce coast guard (audio)
chiefly British : coastguardsman

Examples of coast guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two rescuers from the National Resistance Forces (NRF), an anti-Houthi force, were also killed when the Houthis struck again after rescue crews arrived, the Yemeni coast guard said. — Reuters, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026 Washington often has expressed alarm over Beijing’s increasingly hostile actions against Philippine coast guard and naval forces in recent years. — Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Yemen’s coast guard rescued the crew, which included 13 Indians and a Yemeni. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Local outlet Star Channel Central Greece reported that small boats belonging to the Greek coast guard, as well as local fishing boats, were used to transfer people to a larger fire department boat, which then took them to safety. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for coast guard

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coast guard was in 1833

Rhymes for coast guard

See All Rhymes for coast guard

Browse Nearby Words

coast gorilla
coast guard
coast guard cutter
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Cite this Entry

“Coast guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast%20guard. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

coast guard

noun
1
: a seagoing force for protecting a coast and people and property at sea
2
usually coastguard chiefly British : coastguardsman

More from Merriam-Webster on coast guard

Nglish: Translation of coast guard for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coast guard

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