Synonyms of dock

dock 1 of 3

noun

ˈdäk 

as in wharf

a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers

the boat remained tied up at the dock for a week, waiting for the weather to clear

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wharf
• pier
• quay
• landing
• jetty
• float
• levee
• marina
• mooring
• shipyard
• quai
• berth
• dockyard
• wharfage
• slip
• embarcadero
• quayage

dock

2 of 3

verb (1)

1

as in to shorten

to make less in extent or duration

the editorial was docked by about a hundred words to make it fit on the page

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shorten
• cut back
• reduce
• truncate
• abridge
• trim
• curtail
• syncopate
• abbreviate
• cut down
• elide
• decrease
• summarize
• sum up
• abstract
• encapsulate
• modify
• contract
• cut
• recapitulate
• compress
• prune
• epitomize
• taper
• pare
• digest
• slash
• subtract (from)
• shrink
• moderate
• lower
• abate
• downsize
• diminish
• constrict
• retrench
• dwindle
• deflate
• lessen
• de-escalate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extend
• prolong
• lengthen
• supplement
• elongate
• expand
• add
• enlarge
• increase
• maximize
• augment
• raise
• boost
• protract
• amplify
• dilate
• heighten
• escalate
• swell
• blow up
• pump up
• inflate
• balloon
• aggrandize
• distend

2

as in to shave

to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument

the boxer's tail was docked soon after birth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shave
• cut
• trim
• clip
• cut back
• mow
• crop
• bob
• shear
• prune
• pare
• poll
• snip
• lop (off)
• nip
• stump
• whittle
• pinch
• skive
• manicure
• shorten
• curtail

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extend
• lengthen
• elongate

dock

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to land

to stop at or near a place along the shore

the cruise ship docked at the first port of call early the next morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• land
• anchor
• arrive
• make port
• beach
• ground
• moor
• tie up
• harbor
• berth
• disembark
• reach
• turn up
• show up
• debark

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• launch
• sail
• embark

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dock

Noun

To create the whirlpool Charybdis, which Odysseus must avoid so as to not lose all his men, Fisher says they were inspired by the kind of water displacement created by powerful tugboats and ferries pulling away at a dock. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026

For the World Cup, the drone docks let the department have more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster. — Asher Redd, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

Verb

SpaceX’s part of that current plan involves docking Starship with NASA’s crew capsule, Orion—but the company still needs to show its crown jewel vehicle can get to orbit at all. — Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026

In order for that to be possible, Starship will need to be capable of refueling midflight in a complex process that requires two Starships equipped with docking adapters to meet in orbit to transfer propellant. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 July 2026