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

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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
Over the last two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the titular demigod (Walker Scobell) has faced off against a minotaur, sailed to the sea of monsters, been chased by Cerberus, and even magically transformed into a guinea pig. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026 Visitors can enjoy sailing on Penobscot Bay, browse independent shops and galleries, tour maritime museums, and visit nearby Owls Head State Park. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2026
Noun
The actors also learned other ways to work the ship, including casting sails, so Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema could just shoot them working as if making a documentary. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026 Schettino conducted a sail-by salute near Giglio Island off the coast of Tuscany on January 13, 2012, where a crew member had family, according to the documentary. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 10 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
  • Down at the lake, boats just off the shore slowed to listen while swimmers took in the music from floaties.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • In Valencia, a number of boating outfitters are offering eclipse-viewing charters since La Malvarrosa beach, the city’s official viewing spot, faces east, meaning viewers will need to look inland to see the eclipse.
    — Catherine Tansey, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 July 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • Given how much capital is flowing into AI, what is the sustainable business model?
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • In all the time since, the water flowed through that line under the many incarnations of the Sunset Strip, feeding smaller pipes that quenched a growing metropolis that expanded from about 500,000 people to 4 million.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • The stainless steel, retro-looking spacecraft hovered upright over the Indian Ocean before lowering into the water, more than 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) from where the flight began.
    — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • OpenEvidence’s Deep Consult achieved a maximum accuracy of just 41%, while the Quick Consult feature hovered at 34%.
    — Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Even the modest changes this reprieve has allowed—at roughly three voyages every two days—have added up to tens of millions of gallons of domestic oil staying in the country instead of going overseas.
    — James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • Elsewhere, a dining table converts into a puzzle and craft table, while the owner’s suite wraps around the mizzen mast and connects directly to a private study designed for working remotely during extended voyages.
    — Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • In a biotech lab, robotic pipetting machines can already run experiments, but humans still have to set them up and ferry samples from station to station.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
  • Flight campaign results Pilots from GE Aerospace and BETA Technologies conducted flight evaluations in the United States before ferrying the aircraft across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Ramona American Graffiti Cruise Night to host a National Night Out event in Ramona as vehicles of all types cruise down Main Street.
    — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • Webb on the mound, the Giants positioned themselves to cruise to an easy victory.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • Your suit is still carrying your skin cells, body oils, sunscreen, and whatever else was floating around in the pool.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 July 2026
  • The team floated the idea to Nestlé’s global KitKat brand group, then gave its agency partner, VML, 24 hours to return with a concept.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Videos online showed buses easily gliding through emptied lanes.
    — John Surico, Curbed, 24 July 2026
  • Safe to say, even the most out-of-this-world games will pop right off the screen—and glide smoothly across it, of course, thanks to the native 240Hz refresh rate.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 23 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 26 Jul. 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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