: 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
No bodies, no lifeboats, no explanation.
—
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Many vestiges of the ship’s seafaring past remain intact, however, from a claustrophobia-inducing propeller shaft to six original lifeboats hanging from pulleys on either side of the vessel.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
Now sinking, the NCAA is offloading responsibilities to lifeboats.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
An oxygen tank exploded during the April 1970 expedition, significantly damaging the spacecraft and forcing the three-person crew to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
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Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Many vestiges of the ship’s seafaring past remain intact, however, from a claustrophobia-inducing propeller shaft to six original lifeboats hanging from pulleys on either side of the vessel.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
Now sinking, the NCAA is offloading responsibilities to lifeboats.
—Jim Martin, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
An oxygen tank exploded during the April 1970 expedition, significantly damaging the spacecraft and forcing the three-person crew to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
Cite this Entry
“Lifeboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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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