Illustration of sail
- 1 flying jib
- 2 jib
- 3 forestaysail
- 4 foresail
- 5 fore gaff-topsail
- 6 main-topmast staysail
- 7 mainsail
- 8 main gaff-topsail
1
a(1)
: an extent of fabric (such as canvas) by means of which wind is used to propel a ship through water
(2)
: the sails of a ship
b
plural usually sail
: a ship equipped with sails
2
: an extent of fabric used in propelling a wind-driven vehicle (such as an iceboat)
3
: something that resembles a sail
especially
: a streamlined conning tower on a submarine
sailed; sailing; sails
1
a
: to travel on water in a ship
b
: yacht
2
a
: to travel on water by the action of wind upon sails or by other means
b
: to move or proceed easily, gracefully, nonchalantly, or without resistance
sails through all sorts of contradictions—
Vicki Hearne
Vicki Hearnethe bill sailed through the legislature
c
: to move through the air
the ball sailed over his head
3
: to begin a water voyage
sail with the tide
1
a
: to travel on (water) by means of motive power (such as sail)
sail the ocean
b
: to glide through
2
: to direct or manage the motion of
sail a ship
Examples of sail in a Sentence
Noun
Wind filled the sails and our journey had begun.
raising and lowering the ship's sails
a sail to San Francisco
Verb
We'll sail along the coast.
He sailed around the world on a luxury liner.
She sailed the Atlantic coastline.
She's sailing a boat in tomorrow's race.
The ship was sailed by a crew of 8.
I've been sailing since I was a child.
a ship that has sailed the seven seas
We sat on the shore watching boats sail by.
We sail at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
They sail for San Francisco next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
The Milius—which made its last stopover at Diego Garcia on July 21—was spotted anchoring off Yokosuka on Monday but appeared to set sail again without entering its home port for unknown reasons, according to photos shared by a local ship spotter.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The ship was sailing to Messina, Sicily from Kotor, Montenegro and was right off the coast of Italy when the incident occurred, leaving it to drift for a short period of time, according to CruiseMapper.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Visitors can see traditional sailor activities including furling sail, ropemaking, knot-tying and hauling lines aboard the historic Star of India.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
The Milius—which made its last stopover at Diego Garcia on July 21—was spotted anchoring off Yokosuka on Monday but appeared to set sail again without entering its home port for unknown reasons, according to photos shared by a local ship spotter.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Vineyard Haven Ferry sails year-round from Woods Hole on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, and crosses Vineyard Sound in just 45 minutes.
—Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The ship was sailing to Messina, Sicily from Kotor, Montenegro and was right off the coast of Italy when the incident occurred, leaving it to drift for a short period of time, according to CruiseMapper.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sail
Cite this Entry
“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sail. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sail
1 of 2 noun
ˈsā(ə)l 
as last element in compounds often səl
1
a
: a sheet of fabric (as canvas) used to catch wind to move a craft through water or over ice
b
: the sails of a ship
under full sail
c
plural usually sail
: a ship with sails
2
: something like a sail
3
: a journey by ship
sail
2 of 2 verb1
: to travel on water in a ship
sail the seas
2
: to travel by a sailing craft
3
: to move or glide along
sailed into the room
4
: to manage the sailing of
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