sail 1 of 2

1
as in to boat
to travel on water in a vessel I can't sail when there's any breeze at all because I get seasick easily

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2
3
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a leaf sailed by, carried by the breeze

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sail

2 of 2

noun

as in voyage
a journey over water in a vessel we went for a brief sail on the bay to relax

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sail
Verb
After the Japanese vessel issued a radio warning ordering the activity to cease, the Chinese ship sailed away and, by around 1:20 p.m., had crossed the median line separating the two countries. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 Expedition ships built for rugged exploration are now sailing the more comfortable climes of the Mediterranean. Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2025
Noun
An empty container ship of COSCO Shipping sails to a container terminal in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 May 2025 And in August of this year, the sister ship to the 7,600 passenger Icon of the Seas and the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, Star of the Seas, will set sail from Port Canaveral on seven-night year-round Caribbean sailings. CNN Money, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sail
Verb
  • Obviously, with all the lake access, water sports—from boating, to kayaking, to canoeing—are a main draw.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to crime, the advisory urges tourists to be aware of the dangers that can come with certain activities, such as jet skiing, boating and even just relaxing at the beach.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Swonk said the good news about the deal is that trade will flow again.
    Obed Manuel, NPR, 13 May 2025
  • This will not only provide faster throughput performance, but will also help reduce latency and allow data to flow unimpeded by network traffic or interference.
    Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Then again, for those who have bought one of the most expensive tickets in Knicks history—with the get-in price hovering above $650 as of Friday morning—what’s a few more dollars for the chance to see New York potentially reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999?
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 16 May 2025
  • The Vietnam War and its effects hover over the group.
    Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • The Context The Cuauhtémoc, a 297-foot-long sailing vessel that first launched in 1982, is a sailing vessel used primarily for training Mexican naval cadets and typically makes international goodwill voyages to various ports.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
  • The ship arrived in N.Y.C. on Tuesday, May 13, as the third stop in its planned eight-month voyage.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The prison's staff lived on the island with their families, and children were ferried to San Francisco on school days, according to the National Park Service.
    Bill Chappell, NPR, 5 May 2025
  • In due course, he was cast as an urchin in a movie about Charles Dickens, and soon a black Bentley was ferrying him to the set.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • Inter Miami aren’t cruising either — a 3-3 draw at San Jose Earthquakes dropped them to fifth in the Eastern Conference — and a frustrated Lionel Messi almost talked his way to a red card.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 15 May 2025
  • Watch classic paddlewheel boats cruise the waterway, sample local eats, and dance to live music at the riverfront amphitheater.
    West Virginia Tourism, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Additional features include a 60-minute massage for two at the resort’s floating cabana spa and a sunset cruise aboard Montauk Yacht Club’s X Shore electric boat for two, complemented by a crudités board and a summer rosé.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 12 May 2025
  • The three-time César nominee and President of the doc prize jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will play an expat single mother who runs a floating bar with her teenage son in a luxury resort town in South Africa‘s North West province.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • The moon glides through Leo today, inspiring a bold entrepreneurial move.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 3 May 2025
  • Fresh off a victory that propelled the New York Knicks to the second round of the playoffs, Bridges glided to his locker, Eurostepping a ghost and pretending to take off from his right leg.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sail. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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