: 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
The search area established around debris and an unoccupied lifeboat discovered during the initial rescue mission, spans about 20 square kilometers, according to NOAA.
—
Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Resilience doesn’t come from eliminating stress—or from throwing kids into stressful situations with no lifeboat.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
Eight people died when one of the lifeboats capsized.
—George Petras, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The captain ultimately ordered lifeboats lowered, and the ship went down stern first.
—Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
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Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Resilience doesn’t come from eliminating stress—or from throwing kids into stressful situations with no lifeboat.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
Eight people died when one of the lifeboats capsized.
—George Petras, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The captain ultimately ordered lifeboats lowered, and the ship went down stern first.
—Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
Cite this Entry
“Lifeboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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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