plural boats
1
a
: a small vessel for travel on water
b
: ship
2
: a boat-shaped container, utensil, or device
a gravy boat
a laboratory boat
3
informal
: a large car
A lot of people still think Cadillac makes big floaty boats.—
Mark LaNeve
Mark LaNeve
boated; boating; boats
: to place in or bring into a boat
: to go by boat
Examples of boat in a Sentence
Noun
He tied the boat to the dock.
Cruise ships and other boats filled the harbor.
traveling by boat across the ocean
Verb
We boated over to the island.
boated to the picnic site on an island in the bay
Recent Examples on the Web
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Dec. 2025
The following day, drones, National Guard helicopters, dogs and human search teams, as well as a boat on a nearby lake, set out in an effort to find Webb.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
After the crash, Paul Murdaugh was charged with boating under the influence causing severe bodily injury and death — charges that were still pending at the time of his own death in 2021.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Dec. 2025
The following day, drones, National Guard helicopters, dogs and human search teams, as well as a boat on a nearby lake, set out in an effort to find Webb.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Pino was initially charged with three careless boating misdemeanors in the crash.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
After the crash, Paul Murdaugh was charged with boating under the influence causing severe bodily injury and death — charges that were still pending at the time of his own death in 2021.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boat
Cite this Entry
“Boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boat. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boat
1 of 2 noun1
: a small vessel for travel on water
3
: a boat-shaped utensil
gravy boat
boat
2 of 2 verb1
: to put into or carry in a boat
2
: to travel by boat
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