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
And then Timmy and Oli sailed east across the Pacific to America, a three-month voyage. — George Boedecker Jr, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Cruise ships tend to sail full or close to it given the business’ high operating and fixed costs such as fuel or interest on loans. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
Continue reading … ZERO OPPOSITION — Original 'Squad' member sails to renomination with no Republican to stop her. — FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Sailors respond to a new forecast by trimming the sails, and companies should read the $234 billion the same way. — Rob Green, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 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
  • The Safe Fox River Coalition cited state records showing 45 boating accidents on the Fox River from 2016 to 2026, with six fatalities and 28 injuries.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens will be out in full force on Labor Day for the last busy day of boating.
    — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • When local issues become national issues Nationalization does not only flow from Washington down.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Prices for most types of petroleum products have gone up since the war with Iran began in late February, amid limits on how much could flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Willa Rubin, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Mayflies hovering around our heads were bound to attract bats, and bats creep me out.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Louise — the presence of her absence — hovers over the wintry landscapes like a figment of loss and guilt.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Sixty years after television audiences first tuned in to see the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, an astronaut on board the International Space Station has paid tribute to Star Trek by flying the badge of the franchise’s latest fictional captain.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Critics and readers have often viewed Gulliver’s third voyage as a moment when Swift chose the wrong subject to satire.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • Tesla Clearing all the regulations required to sell people a steering wheel-less vehicle that's meant to ferry other people is going to take years and a lot of painstaking effort to pull off.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Pilot once ferried maritime pilots to larger ships in Boston Harbor.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • Aside from the opening drive, when Michigan cruised 75 yards for a touchdown, and the game-winning heave, the offense was moribund.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • And while the Tigers cruised the rest of the way with their backups and third-teamers, there were enough miscues in all facets that Drinkwitz was left flush with coaching points.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • And, truth be told, this Philadelphia team has floated relatively under the radar for years because championships weren’t expected.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Coleman fired off the line of scrimmage, running a wheel route when quarterback Cam Miller floated the ball his way.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Merino glided away from challenges to keep Arsenal in control.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Sea facing suites have views over the harbor and terraces set up with chairs and tables for watching the boats glide in and out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of glide

Phrases Containing sail

Browse Nearby Words

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 10 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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