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
And then Timmy and Oli sailed east across the Pacific to America, a three-month voyage. — George Boedecker Jr, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Cruise ships tend to sail full or close to it given the business’ high operating and fixed costs such as fuel or interest on loans. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
Not Netflix‘s The Whisper Man, though, which doesn’t need the extra time and sails by in under two hours as a movie in a pulsating pace that keeps us engaged and guessing from beginning to end. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 Boy and In a Violent Nature take the wind out of that movie’s sails? — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 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
  • Families can also go boating to try and spot whale sharks and manatees in the lagoon or opt for less exciting but just as rewarding sunset cruises.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this year, a 17-year-old was bitten by a shark in the waters off Galveston, Texas, while on a boating trip over Memorial Day weekend.
    — Heather McCarron, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • For the traditional Telugu Hindu ceremony, their priest translated Sanskrit to English in real time, and the mandap was designed as a circle to represent how life flows into itself for eternity.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Millions of people across the floodplains of the Indian subcontinent depend on the water that flows downstream.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • The overwater bungalows are pretty special, hovering over lapping waves where guests can stay in total peace and solitude.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Parton didn’t stop with Dollywood By the early 1990s, Parton created The Dollywood Foundation with the goal of decreasing the high school drop out rate in Sevier County, which was hovering around 30%.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Carnival guests will similarly earn three points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, and one point for each Casino Point left at the end of their voyage.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There are famous sailing ships with female names that many Americans can cite, such as the nicknames for the three Spanish ships — the Niña, Pinta and Santa María — used by Christopher Columbus during his famed first voyage to the New World in 1492.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • Choppers flew overhead in a constant stream ferrying victims from a village just on the other side of the river.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Ground robotic vehicles have so far been used on the Ukrainian battlefield primarily to ferry supplies to infantry and carry out evacuations, because of Ukraine’s need to preserve manpower amid the growing prevalence of drones.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • That’s how dramatically the economics of superyacht construction has changed since Whisper first began cruising in 2014.
    — Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Fort Worth Eastern Hills Highlanders opened the season in commanding fashion Friday night, cruising to a 62-0 victory over the Polytechnic Parrots at Clark Stadium.
    — Raul Avila, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • Interesting Engineering has previously reported how floating power plants are powering vast areas in Russia by connecting to the local grid.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Videos of the flooding obtained by ABC News show a roaring Colorado River as mudflows and debris from metal structures are seen floating down the river.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • There are lots of brands that have worked to give us beautiful soft mattes that glide onto lids and don’t feel patchy or heavy like their previous counterparts.
    — Elle Turner, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The way Brooks stomped, or glided, or moseyed into the end zone will be forgotten.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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