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

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
Such leads belong informally to the scientists who discover them, but there’s nothing to stop a rogue taxonomist from sailing in with the Jolly Roger at full-mast. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 On one of their last nights in Paris, all the beginners' French students piled onto a boat that would sail them back and forth across the Seine. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
In the event a group sail doesn't fill, Brooklyn Sail may reach out 24 to 48 hours in advance to reschedule or cancel with a full refund. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026 The painting included a billowing sail from the distressed ship against a backdrop of the stable ground of shore. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 31 July 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
  • Gusty winds just over 20 mph could make boating less than ideal.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Calls range from people accidentally slipping into the river and overturned kayaks to boating emergencies and people intentionally entering the water.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • Some more images show Kidman, Bullock, 62, King, 26, and Williams, 29, wearing flowing gowns while hooked onto wires, seemingly filming a scene that involves flying, in front of a blue screen.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Exports flowing from Saudi ports have blunted some of the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • For the observer hovering above one of these boundaries, Kuridze says, the view would depend on the time of arrival.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • While the rain is expected to mostly subside by Saturday, temperatures will hover near the 90s through Sunday and into next week.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • On his fourth voyage, Zheng met representatives from Malindi (modern-day Kenya).
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Shipping data showed the ship was loaded with Russian crude prior to the voyage.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • Middle Eastern producers have ferried cargoes out of the Gulf as part of a shuttle program put in place by several countries in the region.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The banana trade’s leading companies maintained fleets of freighters to ferry fruit north from Central America and the Antilles.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • The Red Sox had cruised to a 13-1 win on Friday night, rolling to that victory one night after rallying five times against the White Sox in a 13-inning marathon.
    — Curt Anderson, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Competing lower difficulty due to her recent comeback, Carey cruised through her two vaults to take a comfortable lead in the vault standings.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • The custom floating hot tub can seat up to six people and moves at a cool 3 miles per hour through the calm waters north of Logan Airport.
    — Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In that test, the first-stage booster returned to a floating platform about six minutes after ⁠the separation of its first and upper stage, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes.
    — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The countless repetitions give you the most beautiful art form where swans glide, fairies dance and every year a giant nutcracker appears.
    — Chrissie Leong, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 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 14 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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