sailing

noun

sail·​ing ˈsā-liŋ 

1

a

: the technical skill of managing a ship : navigation

b

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

2

a

: 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

Checking in is smooth sailing, from the welcome glass of bubbles to the efficient service. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

With Arsenal sailing close to the regulatory wind last summer, the club brokered a deal with Leverkusen which was ostensibly a loan with option to buy. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 June 2026

This natural hinge in the sailing year is the culmination of the Caribbean season, marked by the Antigua Sailing Week regatta, an Atlantic waypoint that signals the start of the exodus east and the long sail home. —Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

River ships sailing in Europe, among the most popular destinations for those types of cruises, are generally designed to be as large as possible while fitting through the necessary locks along the waterways. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sailing

• clear sailing
• plain sailing
• sailing ship
• smooth sailing

Rhymes for sailing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing