sailing

noun

sail·ing | \ ˈsā-liŋ

How to pronounce sailing (audio)

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Definition of sailing

1a : the technical skill of managing a ship : navigation

b : the method of determining the course to be followed to reach a given point

2a : the sport of handling or riding in a sailboat

b : a departure from a port

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web The country has been hosting the America's Cup sailing regatta. — Nick Perry, Star Tribune, "New Zealand city enters 3-day lockdown after virus found," 14 Feb. 2021 During tennis matches and solo sailing races, there is no team to rely on. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, "The Brain Within the Brain of a Rising Tennis Queen," 7 Feb. 2021 The cruise ship business, which has been a growing feature of the New Orleans tourism sector, now looks less likely to return until at least the end of the year as some operators extend their sailing hiatus into the autumn. — Anthony Mcauley | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Another blow to New Orleans tourism: Cruise ship business unlikely to return in 2021," 25 Jan. 2021 On Saturday, Aristides Adamopoulos -- the vice Chairman of the HSF Board -- resigned, according to the Greek sailing body. — Elinda Labropoulou, CNN, "Sofia Bekatorou: Olympic medalist's decision to speak out over alleged 1998 sexual assault sparks public outcry in Greece," 16 Jan. 2021 At least four boats involved in a youth sailing class overturned at the mouth of the harbor at about 4:33 p.m., said Daniel Kline, a battalion chief with the Santa Cruz Fire Department. — J.d. Morris, SFChronicle.com, "12 children rescued in frantic effort after boats overturn in Santa Cruz Harbor," 10 Jan. 2021 For Princess in Alaska, three ships were affected for sailing dates through May 15. — Scott Mcmurren, Anchorage Daily News, "As vaccine rollout offers hope for a return to normal, bargain airfares beckon to willing travelers," 9 Jan. 2021 The tall, straight trunk was used for the masts of sailing ships. — Sheryl Devore, chicagotribune.com, "Lake County’s aromatic evergreens beckon in winter," 24 Dec. 2020 Having unearthed evidence of an 18th-century sailing ship in the swamp, Rick and Marty Lagina send their team to do extensive excavation in the area in the season premiere of the unscripted series. — Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, "What’s on TV Tuesday: ‘This Is Us’; ‘Rise of the Nazis’," 9 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sailing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sailing. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for sailing

sailing

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sailing

: the sport or activity of traveling on water in a sailboat

See the full definition for sailing in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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