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
The craft is designed for endurance, with a top speed of 11 knots and a range of 1,200 nautical miles (1,400 miles) at cruising speed.
—
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Designed for both European and Stateside cruising, Petite Belle is powered by twin 1,200 hp MAN engines that give her a cruising speed of 12 knots and a top speed of 16 knots.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2025
And at 80 mph: 200 miles - a 28% drop from the most efficient cruising speed.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The combined effect was that the car felt happier with a slightly lower cruising speed of 180 km/h rather than 200 km/h or more in the Panamera.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Transatlantic flights from northern Europe — London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen — routinely cross the southern half of the island, the bright, barren ice sheet often visible for up to an hour of cruising speed.
—Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
At highway cruising speed, the SUV is satisfactory.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
The study also found that Megalodon’s estimated cruising speed, based on the structure of its scales, was between 1.3 and 2.2 miles (2.1-3.5 kilometers) per hour, comparable to that of today’s great white sharks.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
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Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
Designed for both European and Stateside cruising, Petite Belle is powered by twin 1,200 hp MAN engines that give her a cruising speed of 12 knots and a top speed of 16 knots.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2025
And at 80 mph: 200 miles - a 28% drop from the most efficient cruising speed.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The combined effect was that the car felt happier with a slightly lower cruising speed of 180 km/h rather than 200 km/h or more in the Panamera.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Transatlantic flights from northern Europe — London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen — routinely cross the southern half of the island, the bright, barren ice sheet often visible for up to an hour of cruising speed.
—Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
At highway cruising speed, the SUV is satisfactory.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
The study also found that Megalodon’s estimated cruising speed, based on the structure of its scales, was between 1.3 and 2.2 miles (2.1-3.5 kilometers) per hour, comparable to that of today’s great white sharks.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cruising speed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruising%20speed. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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