shore
land along the edge of water
Land at the edge of the sea, a lake, or a big river.
on/along the shore of [a sea/lake/river]
- We walked along the shore of the lake until sunset.
- The boat slowly moved toward the shore after the storm.
- Children were playing on the sandy shore near the hotel.
- Oil from the damaged ship washed up on the shore.
- They could see the lights of the town from just off the shore.
- Many people sit on the shore and watch the sea.
- The swimmers came back to the shore when it got dark.
- A small house stands on the shore of the river.
- We had a picnic on the shore of the lake.
- Waves hit the shore again and again.
country or land as destination
A country or land, spoken about as a place people go to or leave, often used in the plural and in a literary way.
to [someone’s] native/foreign/these shores
- Thousands of immigrants arrived on these shores in the early twentieth century.
- After years abroad, he finally returned to his native shores.
- The film tells the story of a family seeking a better life on foreign shores.
- Traders from distant shores once came here to sell their goods.
- They dreamed of leaving their village for brighter shores overseas.
- Many people came to these shores to find work.
- He left his homeland and went to foreign shores.
- After ten years away, she came back to her native shores.
- Stories of rich shores far away made them want to travel.
- Ships from distant shores brought new ideas to the city.
supporting beam for a structure
A strong piece of wood or metal used to hold up a wall, building, or other structure so it does not fall.
install shores to support [a structure]
- Temporary shores were installed to stabilize the damaged wall.
- Engineers added extra shores under the floor before removing the old columns.
- The contractor inspected each shore to make sure it was correctly positioned.
- Steel shores held the bridge in place during the repair work.
- Workers removed the shores only after the concrete had fully cured.
- The workers put strong shores under the weak wall.
- They used metal shores to support the old bridge.
- Before fixing the house, they added shores under the floor.
- Many shores held the heavy roof during the work.
- The engineer checked every shore for safety.
support something with props
To hold up a wall, building, or other thing by putting strong supports against or under it.
shore [something] up with [supports]
- They used wooden beams to shore up the tunnel after the landslide.
- Workers shored up the old bridge before moving the heavy equipment across it.
- The rescue team quickly shored up the ceiling to prevent it from collapsing.
- Contractors shored up the house so they could repair the damaged foundation.
- Engineers decided to shore up the retaining wall as a temporary solution.
- The men shored up the weak wall with wood.
- We must shore up the old stairs before using them.
- They shored up the roof so it would not fall.
- The workers shored it up with metal posts.
- Engineers shored up the bridge after the storm.
strengthen or support something weak
To help something that is weak, like a system, plan, or feeling, so that it does not fail.
shore up [something abstract]
- The government announced new measures to shore up the struggling economy.
- She tried to shore up his confidence before the big presentation.
- The company is looking for new investors to shore up its finances.
- Officials are working to shore up support for the reform package.
- The coach brought in an experienced player to shore up the defense.
- New rules were made to shore up the banking system.
- They cut costs to shore up the company’s profits.
- Her friends tried to shore up her confidence after the failure.
- The party needs to shore up its support before the election.
- Extra training was used to shore up the team’s weak skills.
- Base: shore
- Plural: shore, shores
- Base: shore
- 3rd Person Singular: shores
- Present Participle: shoring
- Past: shored
foreign shores
1other countries as travel destinations
Other countries, not your own, thought of as places people travel to or arrive at.
- Many young people dream of moving to foreign shores in search of opportunity.
- The museum tells stories of families who left for foreign shores with little more than a suitcase.
- Her books are popular on foreign shores as well as at home.
from shore to shore
1across an entire land or country
Across the whole width of a country or area, from one side to the other.
- The song is known from shore to shore.
- The festival is celebrated from shore to shore in this country.
- News of the victory spread from shore to shore.
on shore
1on land, not at sea
On the land next to the sea, not on a boat or in the water.
- The passengers stayed on shore while the crew loaded the ship.
- After three months at sea, it felt strange to walk on shore again.
- We waited on shore and watched the boats come in.
shore leave
1sailors’ time off on land
Time when sailors are allowed to leave their ship and stay on land for rest or fun while the ship is in port.
- The crew were excited to get a few days of shore leave.
- During shore leave, the sailors explored the city and relaxed in cafes.
- He met his future wife while on shore leave in Sydney.
shore up
1support or strengthen something weak
To support or strengthen something that is weak or in danger, so that it does not fail.
- The central bank cut interest rates to shore up the currency.
- The manager hired more staff to shore up the customer service team.
- They launched a new marketing campaign to shore up falling sales.
these shores
1the speaker’s own country
The country or land where the speaker lives or is talking about, usually their own country.
- That style of music only became popular on these shores in the 1990s.
- Such animals are not normally found on these shores.
- This policy has caused much debate on these shores.