keel 1 of 2

noun

Definition of keelnext
as in ship
a large craft for travel by water for a few days at least, the Titanic was the largest and grandest keel afloat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

keel

2 of 2

verb

as in to collapse

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 keel
Noun
Cobolli, 24, and Auger-Aliassime, 25, have been going through the tournament in different ways — Cobolli with some eyecatching flair that turned into jitters during his fourth-round win; Auger-Aliassime with more jeopardy but also a more even keel. — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 2 June 2026 The hope is to have AI functioning on a balanced keel in the mental health domain. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Verb
If the program ends before those pension funds shore up their cash reserves to deal with plummeting bond prices, the funds could very rapidly keel over. — Alan Murray, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2022 Otherwise healthy workers keel over at their desks after a long stretch of overtime or after consummating a high-pressure deal, usually from a stroke or heart attack. — Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 1 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for keel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keel
  1. ship
  2. collapse
  3. boat
  4. crumple
  5. vessel
  6. plop
  7. plunk
  8. slip
Noun
  • Before the war, an average of about 110 ships transited the strait daily.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The ship overcame the engine failure and continued flying toward a pinpoint water landing in the Indian Ocean, but SpaceX had to skip an attempt to reignite a Raptor engine in space.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of ship
Verb
  • Chuanjun warned that heavy rain and extreme weather conditions could put additional areas alongside the mountain near the initial landslide at risk of collapsing.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026
  • By the time his candidacy collapsed, the time required to mount an effective alternative had largely disappeared.
    — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of collapse
Noun
  • Fire and rescue crews deployed boats, dive teams, and additional resources during the search for the missing swimmer.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Pilots are launching into a bottleneck already packed with ferries, commercial vessels, and tour boats, while sharing tight overhead airspace with NYPD, news, and helicopters, often with limited visibility.
    — Janet Handal, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • By all accounts, DC Studios’ Supergirl crumpled beneath the red sun of paltry box-office returns, taking in just $38 million domestically over its opening weekend.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • Nothing’s more frustrating than opening your suitcase to find your cutest tops looking like they’ve been crumpled into paper balls.
    — Kenedee Fowler, Southern Living, 26 June 2026
Definition of crumple
Noun
  • Four Kuwaiti service members were wounded by an Iranian attack on a Kuwaiti naval vessel, the country’s Defense Ministry said.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • The Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) developed the project, which transitions nuclear propulsion technology from military vessels to civilian merchant shipping.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of vessel
Verb
  • Muchová went up 3-1 early with a crouching forehand volley that just plopped inside the court, prompting applause from Gauff and a disbelieving shake of the head from Muchová.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • Sometimes the best way to decompress after a long day is to plop onto the couch, turn on your favorite TV show, and let the bright screen gently lull you into a beautiful, drooly sleep.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 July 2026
Definition of plop
Verb
  • And in the film’s poignant final scene, Joe despondently plays his piano − only for Angela to sit beside him and start plunking along.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Jared Young was plunked with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, sparking a five-run rally that lifted the New York Mets to a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of plunk
Verb
  • Spain was so determined to limit Mbappe’s clean looks in the final third that Simon would often leave the net to meet Mbappe in the open field whenever a rare through ball was able to slip past Spain’s elite midfield.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • By night, people drift toward the beach, dinner tables fill, and music slips through the air.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of slip

Phrases Containing keel

Browse Nearby Words

keeks
keel
keelboat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Keel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keel. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on keel

Nglish: Translation of keel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about keel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All