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
Relevance
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 docks
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Between damp docks, muddy trails, and the occasional drizzle, they were quickly soaked and scuffed.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
There are no residential docks allowed on the perimeter of Canyon Lake, but there are public boat slips for those who BYOB (bring your own boat).
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The body of a man was recovered from the water at the boat docks in Norwalk on Wednesday.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2026
Only a few hours’ flying time from the Middle East, Diego Garcia offers airfields long enough for the heaviest bombers and has naval docks large enough for aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Their four properties have 450 boat slips combined with four gas docks, washrooms and showers, plus picnic spots for vacation getaways or weekend fun.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Its docks and alleys, its free Black communities and slave markets, its churches and street corners — this was the laboratory of his conscience.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
On Sunday, jumpers will leap from docks into the cool water.
—Cbscolorado.com Staff, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
More and more, however, even entry-level robot vacuums come with docks that empty those dirt cups automatically, keeping the dirt in tanks or bags that can hold weeks’ worth of cleaning jobs.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Between damp docks, muddy trails, and the occasional drizzle, they were quickly soaked and scuffed.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
There are no residential docks allowed on the perimeter of Canyon Lake, but there are public boat slips for those who BYOB (bring your own boat).
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The body of a man was recovered from the water at the boat docks in Norwalk on Wednesday.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2026
Only a few hours’ flying time from the Middle East, Diego Garcia offers airfields long enough for the heaviest bombers and has naval docks large enough for aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Their four properties have 450 boat slips combined with four gas docks, washrooms and showers, plus picnic spots for vacation getaways or weekend fun.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Its docks and alleys, its free Black communities and slave markets, its churches and street corners — this was the laboratory of his conscience.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
On Sunday, jumpers will leap from docks into the cool water.
—Cbscolorado.com Staff, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for docks
Noun
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
For now, though, the piers are just getting ready for summer.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Navy sometimes refers to the ships as floating piers.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wine is embedded in the city’s architecture, history and daily life, from grand 18th-century façades to the bustling quays of the Garonne.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Docks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docks. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
