1
as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
the editorial was docked by about a hundred words to make it fit on the page
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2
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
the boxer's tail was docked soon after birth
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as in landing
to stop at or near a place along the shore
the cruise ship docked at the first port of call early the next morning
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Recent Examples of docking
Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The historic waterfront stretch is constructed from 19th-century cobblestones and chock-full of cute restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops, all offering spectacular views of the Savannah River and docking cargo ships.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
While flying inside the Orion capsule, the astronauts are expected to conduct tests of the spacecraft’s docking capabilities and life-support systems while in orbit both around Earth and the moon.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean docking a carrier next to a data center and running a cable inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
Cruises offer unique ways to see destinations – think scenic sailing through Norwegian fjords or passing the Statue of Liberty before docking in New York.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Both the live launch and docking coverage can be viewed on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel.
—Health Reporter, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Users can also remotely control the robot and stream video securely from any device, while self-docking charging ensures the robot can operate continuously without interruption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2025
Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Queen Mary 2 is briefly back in Los Angeles for the first time in two decades, and the luxury ocean liner took time to cruise by its namesake in Long Beach before docking.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The historic waterfront stretch is constructed from 19th-century cobblestones and chock-full of cute restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops, all offering spectacular views of the Savannah River and docking cargo ships.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
While flying inside the Orion capsule, the astronauts are expected to conduct tests of the spacecraft’s docking capabilities and life-support systems while in orbit both around Earth and the moon.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean docking a carrier next to a data center and running a cable inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
Cruises offer unique ways to see destinations – think scenic sailing through Norwegian fjords or passing the Statue of Liberty before docking in New York.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Both the live launch and docking coverage can be viewed on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel.
—Health Reporter, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Users can also remotely control the robot and stream video securely from any device, while self-docking charging ensures the robot can operate continuously without interruption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2025
Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Docking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docking. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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