Synonyms of boats

boats 1 of 2

noun

plural of boat

1

as in vessels

a small buoyant structure for travel on water

paddling the little boat across the lake is great exercise, but tiring

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vessels
• yachts
• canoes
• kayaks
• crafts
• rafts
• ferries
• schooners
• taxis
• lifeboats
• cruisers
• barges
• watercrafts
• sailboats
• cutters
• skiffs
• motorboats
• rowboats
• dinghies
• pontoons
• catamarans
• flatboats
• dories
• powerboats
• scows
• bateaux
• pirogues
• sampans
• ketches
• outboards
• shells
• bottoms
• dhows
• outriggers
• coracles
• punts
• houseboats
• paddleboats
• longboats
• inboards
• towboats
• pinnaces
• sculls
• shallops
• riverboats
• keelboats
• keels
• wherries
• prams
• tugboats
• yawls
• tubs
• ferryboats
• catboats
• dugouts
• surfboats
• gigs
• lighters
• tugs
• dinks
• workboats
• gondolas
• tender
• whaleboats
• trawlers
• umiaks
• auxiliaries
• seiners
• whalers
• bankers
• hoys
• rowing boats
• luggers
• hydroplanes
• gillnetters
• airboats
• hookers
• bumboats
• launches
• shrimpers
• water taxis
• johnboats
• hydrofoils
• draggers
• curraghs
• piraguas
• cobles
• torpedo boats
• PT boats
• narrow boats
• caïques
• scallopers
• jolly boats
• hovercrafts
• assault boats
• garveys
• cockleshells
• air-cushion vehicles

2

as in ships

a large craft for travel by water

you'll have to take a passenger boat to get to the island

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ships
• vessels
• liners
• warships
• freighters
• yachts
• steamships
• keels
• schooners
• tankers
• steamers
• barges
• cruisers
• ferryboats
• cutters
• sailboats
• corvettes
• merchantmen
• traders
• supertankers
• merchant ships
• coasters
• aircraft carriers
• lightships
• colliers
• men-of-war
• containerships
• ironclads
• flagships
• motor ships
• transports
• destroyers
• argosies
• watercrafts
• tramps
• packets
• icebreakers
• brigs
• brigantines
• caravels
• clippers
• ketches
• superliners
• tall ships
• barks
• junk
• windjammers
• square-riggers
• xebecs

boats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of boat

as in sails

to travel on water in a vessel

boated to the picnic site on an island in the bay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sails
• ferries
• ships (out)
• cruises
• voyages
• yachts
• canoes
• kayaks
• takes ship
• navigates
• makes sail
• coasts

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of boats

Noun

The agency is warning that rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea, while waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

China is believed to operate at least six of these boats, which can carry JL-2 missiles and potentially the newer JL-3 missile, a weapon with enough range to strike parts of the United States from waters near China. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026

Trump went on to poke fun at big UK news stories including Manchester City soccer club’s controversy, the small boats crisis and the recent mauling to death of a man by a tiger. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026

The guests stayed in remote mountain huts and explored dramatic glaciers and fjords on foot, zip lines, jet boats, and helicopters. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Too aquatic for roads, yet too terrestrial for boats, boglands remain some of the most remote and difficult landscapes to access. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

An entire evening can be spent just sitting on the terrace with a glass of wine, watching the boats and cruise ships go by. — Julia Wytrazek, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Attendees can also compare boats and layouts, meet manufacturers and dealers and find resources for every stage of the sailing journey. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

During a shoot on a remote island, Lee and the rest of the crew had to lug heavy equipment off boats and across a mountain. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

Down at the lake, boats just off the shore slowed to listen while swimmers took in the music from floaties. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

Shrimp boats bob in the harbor, American flags flutter from pastel porches and old oak trees draped in Spanish moss offer cool shade. — Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

Kennebunkport, Maine Lobster boats bob in the waves and beachcombers search for shells. — Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025