Synonyms of docks

docks 1 of 3

noun

plural of dock

as in wharves

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

• wharves
• piers
• quays
• landings
• jetties
• floats
• levees
• marinas
• shipyards
• quais
• moorings
• berths
• dockyards
• slips
• embarcaderos
• wharfages
• quayages

docks

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of dock

1

as in shortens

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

• shortens
• cuts back
• reduces
• truncates
• syncopates
• trims
• curtails
• abridges
• abbreviates
• elides
• decreases
• tapers
• sums up
• summarizes
• cuts down
• abstracts
• contracts
• prunes
• encapsulates
• recapitulates
• digests
• compresses
• cuts
• epitomizes
• slashes
• modifies
• pares
• retrenches
• subtracts (from)
• shrinks
• downsizes
• diminishes
• constricts
• lowers
• moderates
• abates
• dwindles
• lessens
• deflates
• de-escalates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extends
• prolongs
• lengthens
• supplements
• expands
• elongates
• increases
• enlarges
• adds
• augments
• raises
• protracts
• maximizes
• boosts
• swells
• heightens
• dilates
• amplifies
• escalates
• balloons
• distends
• inflates
• pumps up
• blows up
• aggrandizes

2

as in shaves

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

• shaves
• clips
• cuts
• crops
• trims
• mows
• prunes
• bobs
• cuts back
• snips
• polls
• nips
• pares
• shears
• lops (off)
• stumps
• skives
• whittles
• pinches
• manicures
• shortens
• curtails

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extends
• lengthens
• elongates

docks

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of dock

as in lands

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

• lands
• anchors
• arrives
• grounds
• beaches
• makes port
• harbors
• berths
• moors
• ties up
• reaches
• disembarks
• turns up
• shows up
• debarks

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• launches
• sails
• embarks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of docks

Noun

Just 45 minutes from Houston and located on Galveston Bay, San Leon is known for fresh oysters, fishing docks, and waterfront restaurants. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 29 July 2026

When a whaling ship docks, both men are now ready to sign on as crew. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026

The company, with 20 employees - all but three based in Tulsa - uses artificial intelligence to automate the inspection and tracking of freight shipments in warehouses and loading docks. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 24 July 2026

Pay close attention when fishing near docks though, as bass will likely try to eat the popper and return to shade quickly, and dock poles aren’t typically very forgiving. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026

New Orleans residents prepared for Bertha's arrival by fortifying their properties with sandbags, and many boat owners in the region moved their vessels out of docks located along the coast to safer locations. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 22 July 2026

By any metric, the West Coast is under threat and under-supported by docks, shipyards and other facilities necessary to keep the Pacific Ocean safe. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

He was partially blinded in a chemical accident years ago while cleaning a boat at the island docks. — Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 20 July 2026

In 1776, the Continental Congress leased private land along Philadelphia’s Front Street docks to build and outfit warships for the American Revolution. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

Verb

Once Orion docks with Blue Moon on Artemis III, two of the mission's astronauts will be able to board the lander to test out its environmental control systems, avionics and the interoperability between the two spacecraft in flight. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 20 July 2026

The ship docks close to town, public transport is nearby, and the main sights can be reached on foot. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Ports of call are the various cities or destinations where the ship docks during the cruise. — Aly Walansky, Southern Living, 8 June 2026

All of them are asymptomatic to date, and the Spanish health ministry said that when the ship docks in the Canary Islands, the non-Spanish citizens will be repatriated ⁠to their countries. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 7 May 2026

Once the ship docks in the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities will do a full epidemiological investigation on the ship and begin repatriating travelers who are deemed fit to return home. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

If that's not enough, an alien ship soon docks nearby. — S.c. Stuart, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026

According to Military Sealift Command spokesman Joseph Davila, the SBX-1 typically docks at Ford Island every 12 to 18 months for maintenance. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025

The boy’s father, an exasperated man at the mercy of an Amazon-like delivery job that docks him for every second he so much as thinks about his son, is the only person who even wants to go through the effort of looking for him. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025