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
Brian Melley, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
This lead seamen to believe that the bananas had caused the ship to sink, and the superstition continues to stay in effect around docks down South.
—Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026
Two loading docks that previously housed trash dumpsters for the older building have been reclaimed as a visualization lab and a robotics lab.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Their ample traction provides security on slippery docks (or sidewalks) and the squishy yoga mat-like insole molds to your natural arch.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Providence's Point Street Bridge opened in 1872, with a swing device that allowed it to pivot so that ships could pass up the Providence River to docks, warehouses and factories.
—Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
Other YouClip attachments include organizer bags and clips, clothes hangers and mobile electronics docks.
—C.c. Weiss
march 24, New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.
—Brian Melley, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
This lead seamen to believe that the bananas had caused the ship to sink, and the superstition continues to stay in effect around docks down South.
—Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026
Two loading docks that previously housed trash dumpsters for the older building have been reclaimed as a visualization lab and a robotics lab.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Their ample traction provides security on slippery docks (or sidewalks) and the squishy yoga mat-like insole molds to your natural arch.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Providence's Point Street Bridge opened in 1872, with a swing device that allowed it to pivot so that ships could pass up the Providence River to docks, warehouses and factories.
—Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
Other YouClip attachments include organizer bags and clips, clothes hangers and mobile electronics docks.
—C.c. Weiss
march 24, New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
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
-
What thrilled Peter about the piers was the feeling of someone’s eyes on the back of the head, that unwashed smell.—
Andrew Durbin,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But in 1982-83, when another super El Niño occurred, storms destroyed multiple piers and ripped away a 400-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
