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

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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
Gasper’s game-tying blast sailed 407 feet into the right field bleachers and according to Statcast would have been gone in all 30 MLB ballparks. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 All ships were able to continue sailing safely, a statement from Southern Command said. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
An autonomous vertical sail uses suction technology to draw air over this shape, creating propulsive thrust that decreases the mechanical burden on the vessel’s primary engines. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 The sails will allow the ship to harness wind power when conditions are favorable, reducing fuel consumption. — Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 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 waterfront resort pairs a spa, fitness center, tennis and padel courts, marina access, and modern rooms with a lively marina atmosphere that’s ideal for boating and exploring the East End.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The city sees the latest return of boating as one part of a broader effort to bring more people and activity to MacArthur Park.
    — Hanna Kang, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • According to regulators, the investments all flowed through Spaventa.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Using the streams as indicators of the groundwater flowing beneath them, Campbell is building a model to identify the best potential sites in Idaho for a subsurface dam.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • In addition, jobless claims have hovered around 200,000 a week, and the number of job openings has been rising over the past six months, Slok pointed out.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • No one will string the words together and actually say it out loud, but as former players and Campbell tap-dance around the uncomfortable question about what’s changed, the message hovering between the lines is not difficult to read.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Amtrak’s Empire Builder is one of the great American train journeys, a 2,210-mile rail voyage through seven states that goes along the northern edge of the American West.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • During the voyage, the report alleged that Caruso separated the boy from his parents for at least an hour under the pretext of getting ice cream.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • He’s now being ferried around the Ankara airport in a food service vehicle to a third aircraft, leaving the crew and other administration personnel to leave on a plane that was presumably under threat.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers have long known that the vagus nerve serves as an information highway, ferrying signals between the brain stem and the rest of the body.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • The New York Yankees ace cruised through 16 outs before the Jays got a bounce.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An erotic thriller that captures the dying charm of Thailand’s stand-alone cinemas which also serve as cruising sites for closeted gay men.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • Jaissle is likely to have his own prospective midfield names, too, who were not actively being floated before he was appointed.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But that identical physical phenomenon might soon change how miniature robots fly, float, and navigate complex environments.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Savor quiet mornings on the dock, then head out on a boat to glide beneath the pines.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The countryside glided by, and Abdeen took in the moving sky and the fields.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Nglish: Translation of sail for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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