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sand

sand

2 9.9
Courage and determination in difficult situations
  • noun
  • /sænd/
  • Archaic
: agallas
  • And she couldn't see that it would all fall apart, as things that are built on sand often alarmingly do.

Examples

  • It takes a lot of sand to stand up for what you believe in during difficult times.

  • If you have basic ambition, the people that have their head in the sand on that are going to lose.

  • So why bury your head in the sand and hope it goes away?

    Academic text (2011)
  • And so I hope that in your bones and your nerves and your cells, this is a line in the sand, a before and after.

  • Today, I'm drawing a line in the sand.

  • Where is your line in the sand beyond which you won't go?

  • By putting the word "change" in its title, it has shifted the sands of the political terrain.

    Academic text (2007)
  • "We must take a firm, line-in-the-sand position that limited waiver is not acceptable," Hackett says.

    Academic text (2006)
  • She showed incredible sand when she decided to confront her boss about unfair treatment.

  • Having the sand to pursue your dreams despite setbacks is crucial for success.

Synonyms

guts
vssand
  • Informal
256 3.7

Courage to do something difficult even when you feel afraid

feels more like inner steady resolve than sudden bold bravery
backbone
vssand
74 3.7

The strength or courage to do what is difficult

focuses on inner courage and fortitude rather than physical or organizational support
grit
vssand
33 5.3

Courage to keep going when things are hard

emphasizes steady fortitude and determination rather than trait labels
moxie
vssand
  • Informal
17 8.8

Brave, confident attitude that helps someone face difficulty

stresses plain courage and fortitude without the spirited flair
gumption
vssand
14 8.1

Being brave and using common sense to act and solve problems

is about plain courage and fortitude without the added resourcefulness

Antonyms

44 5.5

Lack of courage to face danger or difficulty

Idioms

To set a clear limit that must not be crossed

to build on sand
  • Informal
3 7.6

To base a plan or belief on a weak foundation that will likely fail

to pound sand
  • Offensive
2 9.9

Tell someone to go away in a rude way

To ignore a problem instead of dealing with it

To try to do something that cannot be done

Compounds

15 3.2

A hill of sand that wind makes near a beach or in a desert

8 3.3

A shallow pit filled with sand that makes golf shots harder

3 3.1

A long narrow strip of sand in water that shows above the water

2 6.7

A shark with sharp jagged teeth that lives in shallow water near the coast

sand wedge
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A golf club with a heavy angled head used to lift a ball out of sand

1 6.6

A small insect that bites people in warm places and can spread disease

1 5.6

A flat round sea animal with a hard shell that lives on sandy sea floors

1 5.4

A small jumping animal like a tiny flea that lives on sandy beaches

1 8.2

A large shark with sharp jagged teeth that lives in shallow water near the coast

1 7.2

A picture made by arranging fine colored sand on a flat surface

1 1.0

A small object children use to play with sand, like a bucket or shovel

1 8.6

A small snake that lives in sandy places and hides under loose sand

sand dollar
  • Neologism
1 6.8

Digital money issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas and used as legal money in the Bahamas

1 6.1

A small thin fish that looks like an eel and buries itself in sand near the shore

1 8.6

A small wild cat that lives in hot, dry deserts and has thick fur on its paws

1 8.4

A small flat fish like a flounder from the west coast of North America eaten as food

1 8.6

A small animal like a mouse that lives in holes in the desert

quartz sand
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A type of sand made mostly of small hard clear rock grains used to make glass

rope of sand
  • Informal
1 9.9

Something that looks strong but is weak and cannot be trusted

1 6.2

A small lizard with sandy colour that lives in dry, sandy areas

1 8.9

A harmless North American snake with an upturned nose that flattens its head and sometimes plays dead when scared

1 7.0

A small swallow that migrates, nests in holes in sandy riverbanks and eats insects

1 9.1

A small silvery fish that swims in schools and burrows into sand

1 9.9

A small plant with groups of bright flowers that grows in sandy areas of western North America and Mexico

1 9.4

A pigeon-like bird with long pointed wings that lives in dry desert areas

1 6.3

A flat fish that lives on the Pacific coast of North America with sandy colouring

1 9.9

A highly venomous viper from northern Africa and southwestern Asia with a small horn above each eye

1 7.7

A small beach animal that jumps like a flea

A small desert plant with sticky leaves and bright pink trumpet flowers

1 9.2

A small shrub in North America that grows in sandy soil and has small dark fruit not good to eat

1 9.9

A large wingless grasshopper that digs holes in loose sand at night

sand dropseed
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A smooth grass that grows in sandy places in eastern North America

1 9.9

A low evergreen shrub with small white star-shaped flowers and shiny leaves

A low plant with groups of pink or white flowers that grows on sandy coasts

coarse-grained sand
  • Specialized
3.7

A type of sand with large rough grains used for building, gardening, or sports surfaces

A small snake with dark and light rings that moves through sand in the southwestern United States

A low plant with clusters of deep pink or white flowers that grows on sandy areas near the sea

sand badger
  • Philippine
9.9

A small animal with a pig-like snout that lives in sandy places and digs for insects

sand crack
  • Specialized
9.8

A vertical crack in a horse's hoof that can cause pain

9.2

A low evergreen bush with small white flowers, red berries, and leaves that turn red in autumn

A stiff bush that makes blackberries and grows in sandy soil in the eastern United States

A plant with claw-shaped seed pods that grows in sandy soil

9.9

Very small thin silver fish that burrows into sandy beaches and forms schools

9.0

A low plant that forms a mat on rocky ground with small pink flowers

9.4

A coastal plant with long leaves that helps hold sand dunes

8.8

A small bush with silver leaves that grows on dry grasslands

9.3

A grass-like plant that grows in sandy places like coastal dunes and helps hold the sand

8.2

A European plant related to onions that people grow for its edible stems and leaves used in cooking

sand tumor
  • Specialized
9.5

A growth in the coverings or inner parts of the brain that contains sandlike particles

9.9

A small low-growing weed with tiny pink flowers that grows on sandy ground

A small pale fish with eyes on stalks that buries itself in sand to ambush prey

sand-lime brick
  • Specialized
6.7

A type of brick made from sand and lime used for building

A plant that has sweet-smelling flowers and grows in sandy places like deserts

A small bush that makes sweet red, black, or yellow fruits you can eat

A plant on sand dunes with round clusters of yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers

How Courageous

guts
  • Informal
256 3.7
sand
  • Archaic
2 9.9
courage
756 1.4
pluck
7 7.6
nerve
112 3.9

Surface Forms

sand singular
sands plural

Etymology

Sand used to mean 'courage' comes from the image of small hard grains, like grit, inside a person, so someone with 'sand' is thought to have rough strength and strong nerve.