: a sturdy buoyant boat (such as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially in saving lives at sea
Examples of lifeboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the sea ice finally disintegrated in April 1916, the crew launched lifeboats and managed to reach Elephant Island five days later.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 June 2024
Shackleton and his crew piled into three lifeboats, then made a difficult five-day journey to uninhabited Elephant Island.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 June 2024
The crew survived by escaping onto lifeboats but the Halsey sank and now sits in three parts about 65 feet below the surface.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 May 2024
All of the innocents — the crew (including Winnie), children (including Father Toby’s son Derek), and our two professional investigators — have been sent off to safety on shore via the ship’s lifeboats.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lifeboat 
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 June 2024
Shackleton and his crew piled into three lifeboats, then made a difficult five-day journey to uninhabited Elephant Island.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 June 2024
The crew survived by escaping onto lifeboats but the Halsey sank and now sits in three parts about 65 feet below the surface.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 May 2024
All of the innocents — the crew (including Winnie), children (including Father Toby’s son Derek), and our two professional investigators — have been sent off to safety on shore via the ship’s lifeboats.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lifeboat
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Cite this Entry
“Lifeboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lifeboat
noun
life·boat
-ˌbōt 
: a sturdy boat (as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially for saving lives at sea
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