sail 1 of 2

verb

Definition of sailnext
1
as in to boat
to travel on water in a vessel I can't sail when there's any breeze at all because I get seasick easily

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily sailed through the latest assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a leaf sailed by, carried by the breeze

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sail

2 of 2

noun

ˈsāl How to pronounce sail (audio)
as in voyage
a journey over water in a vessel we went for a brief sail on the bay to relax

Synonyms & Similar 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 sail
Verb
Even Australians who wanted to get to San Francisco had less than half as far to travel as someone sailing from New York, and more than ten thousand of them soon passed through the Golden Gate. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 Charging infrastructure at ports would supply the electricity needed for operation, allowing the concept to avoid direct carbon emissions while sailing. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
For year-round use, add shade with sail shades, pergolas or umbrellas, and plan for cold weather with a fire pit or propane heater (stored and used safely) plus heated blankets. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 Conveying the idea would likely involve several signs — which somewhat takes the wind out of rawdog’s superlative sails. — New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sail
  1. boat
  2. flow
  3. hover
  4. voyage
  5. ferry
  6. cruise
  7. float
  8. glide
Verb
  • Naya Rivera, who played cheerleader Santana Lopez, died in an accidental drowning while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake in 2020.
    — Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In the years since the series concluded, another loss was suffered as Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, died from drowning in 2020 after going boating with her four-year-old son.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • From there, wine flowed as attendees tucked into filet mignon and sea bass while chatting across large burgundy floral centerpieces.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the weapons from American manufacturers purchased during the Biden administration are still flowing to Ukraine, but many of those contracts have been fulfilled.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • With a police helicopter hovering overhead, police started using tear gas and a water cannon in an effort to move the protesters back.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s this week in Halifax, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to weather reports.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Abercrombie & Kent A&K will launch Nile Seray, an A&K Sanctuary later this year, with its inaugural voyage in November.
    — Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2026
  • All-in voyage pricing includes Wi-Fi, dining at more than 20 eateries, genuinely fun entertainment, fitness classes, and nonalcoholic drinks.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • The truckers that have managed to ferry water into Taiz have in some cases tripled their rates to make the perilous journey.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Blue Origin and SpaceX each have multibillion-dollar contracts with the US space agency to develop vehicles capable of ferrying astronauts from NASA’s Orion spacecraft down to the lunar surface.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • Many cruise lines now cruise to Antarctica; this polar route is hugely popular.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
  • In past reelections, Matsui has largely cruised to victories.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • As on Does Spring Hide Its Joy, the question of who is making what sound—of what physical processes generated the music that now floats from a pair of headphones—loses its charge within a few minutes.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Root beer floats from the store’s cafe will be available at a discount, and election coverage will be shown on a projection screen.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • The meat does not glide across the room beneath a gleaming dome.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The aircraft glides on its long wings while the coasting propeller turns the motor into a generator, feeding about 9 kW back to the battery.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of glide

Phrases Containing sail

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said uncle
sail
sailboat
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Cite this Entry

“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sail. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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