cruising speed

noun

: the speed at which an airplane, a boat, etc., usually moves when it is traveling at a fast speed for a long distance
The boat has a cruising speed of 25 knots.
The boat handled well at cruising speed.

Examples of cruising speed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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It is equipped with two MTUs capable of producing 2,638 hp, giving the yacht a cruising speed of 24 knots and a top speed of 28 knots. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 May 2026 At cruising speed, the cabin measured just 63-64 dB in Stockholm commissioning trials, well below the 65-75 dB passengers typically experience on a modern ferry. Omar Kardoudi april 09, New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2026 Volvo recommended a cruising speed of 37 mph, considerably faster than the horse-and-cart alternative. Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026 That’s an especially tall order because Forever Young has such a high cruising speed and on top of that, his smoking-hot big last-furlong runs have consistently bested the very, very best. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2026 The drone has a cruising speed of 68 mph (110 km/h). Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026 The cruising speed for commercial airplanes is usually around 453 knots, or 521 miles per hour, and the average cruising speed for a helicopter is around 140 knots, or 161 miles per hour. Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cruising speed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruising%20speed. Accessed 14 May. 2026.

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