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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

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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
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
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • White flamingos and red-footed falcons floated above the lagoon, framed by a long strip of dune and beach.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Failla is adding in some floating rate exposure, such as bank loans and collateralized loan obligations.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • 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
  • Curb cuts — those graded concrete ramps at the edge of sidewalk corners that allow anyone and anything with wheels to glide gently onto the street below — aren’t really the sort of thing most people think about.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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