About 12,000 years ago, when the ocean swallowed an ice-age land bridge between Australia and New Guinea, life on the island was cut off from the world.

The limitless jungle swallowed the deadly hail as easily as the ocean swallows a few drops of rain.

What will the inhabitants of Miami (the very people who may or may not have elected Mr Bush) say when the ocean swallows their expensive real estate?

Humanity had swallowed them up once more, as the ocean swallows a raindrop.

The ocean will open to its depth and swallow us.

The ocean swallowed her, filling her lungs, freezing her heart so that she couldn't cry out.

But the land of Azlaroc seemed capable of absorbing human work as a desert might soak up water, or an ocean swallow snow, leaving no trace visible.

So far, says the Coast Guard, the ocean has taken a crescent-shaped bite out of the base and swallowed a firing range and helicopter landing area.

The ocean was swallowing the sun.

You'd swallow me up the way an ocean swallows a bucket of water.