1
obsolete
: sand
2
a
: loose rounded fragments of rock
b
: a stratum or deposit of gravel
also
: a surface covered with gravel
a gravel road
3
: small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder
: gravelly sense 2
—used of the human voice
Synonyms
Examples of gravel in a Sentence
Verb
managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples
Adjective
after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
The road is primarily made of gravel and includes switchbacks and a speed limit of just 15 mph.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2024
Katie Linsky Shaw, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024
Some 350 miles of trail weave through the area, varying from paved to gravel, and include notable elevation gain and loss otherwise hard to come by in Chicago.
—Outside Online, 11 June 2024
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 July 2024
My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal.
—Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gravel 
Noun
Cassie opened her door and climbed out to stand on the gravel, mouth hung open.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
The road is primarily made of gravel and includes switchbacks and a speed limit of just 15 mph.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
The road eventually turns to gravel before reaching the trailhead with parking along the road.
—Katie Linsky Shaw, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024
Some 350 miles of trail weave through the area, varying from paved to gravel, and include notable elevation gain and loss otherwise hard to come by in Chicago.
—Outside Online, 11 June 2024
Adjective
Every Tuesday evening cyclists depart downtown at 5 P.M. and the pace ramps up to eye-popping speeds as the peloton spins along the paved and gravel roads outside town.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 July 2024
My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal.
—Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gravel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravel. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gravel
1 of 3 noun
grav·el
ˈgrav-əl 
: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand
gravel
2 of 3 adjectivegravel
3 of 3 verb
graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling
ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ
: to cover or spread with gravel
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