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.
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Noun
The cruise industry is experiencing growth, with a record 35 million people setting sail in 2024.—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025 Choose a morning sail to look for dolphins and other wildlife, or book an evening cruise to catch sunset at its peak.—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
The cruise was intended to sail in November from Miami to Mexico—until artists like Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Hirie, and Liz Vice pulled their performances.—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025 Passengers sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas shouldn’t ever find themselves in a state of boredom while traveling aboard the world’s largest cruise ship.—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sail
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English segl; akin to Old High German segal sail
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
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