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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

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
The country’s meteorological service issued an alert for strong winds and high seas on the day the ferry sailed. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 In August 2027, Royal Caribbean’s fourth floating behemoth in its Icon class will make its Miami debut —with more water features and new dining venues compared with its sister ships — to sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
Sitting five feet above the water, sailors suffer from severe blind spots caused by the towering presence of the carbon-fiber wing sail. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 But the real entertainment is watching the six sails unfurl valiantly in the breeze as the sailing yachts, Wind Star, Wind Spirit, and Wind Surf, get underway to whisk passengers to the next idyllic Greek village. — Condé Nast Traveler, 10 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
  • In 2017, Clear Lake’s dire condition led the state to establish a blue ribbon commission, with tribal participation, focused on cleaning up the lake to bolster the local boating and fishing economy.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Game wardens did arrest nine people across Georgia for boating under the influence, the majority of whom were at Lake Lanier.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • That data flows into BlindSquare, which provides spoken alerts in 26 languages about hazards roughly 10 meters ahead.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Tears and emotions flowed after the game as Lewis’ family embraced the team.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Architect Ma Yansong's big, billowing building almost seems to hover around and envelop the surrounding structures, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • During Friday night's game against Wake Forest, Mensah set an ACC record with 24 straight completions and has been hovering above the 90% mark in that category for most of the season.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • The routine continued for the three-month voyage from Bali to Sweden.
    — Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In response, buyers have turned to crude produced in the Americas, which must be shipped via long transoceanic voyages.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • When the river trolley was first launched in 2014, it was intended to ferry locals from point to point along the river.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • One recurring puzzle requires you to ferry an electrical charge from one box to another within a limited time.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • Two luxury ships now cruise the Magdalena, opening one of South America’s most compelling cultural corridors to the wider world.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Bills cruise past Lions as Josh Allen scores five touchdowns in new home debut.
    — , FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • Soon, the pincher floats free of her consciousness, briefly inhabiting the mind of Pola or Ines before flickering back into herself.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This half is the result of genetic material that can clip itself out of the DNA sequence, float off, and re-root somewhere else.
    — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Metromover right outside to glide over to the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) or the Frost Museum of Science in downtown.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • JoJo, Messing and Newport quickly whipped out their phones to capture videos of the models gliding down the runway and posing right in front of them before continuing their trek around Cipriani in downtown Manhattan.
    — Anika Reed, USA Today, 11 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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