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 French superstar winced after a free kick sailed over the goalpost in the 88th minute. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026 The Greeks’ ship was a real ship that sailed across the Mediterranean. — Valentina Colosimo, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2026
Noun
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 In New York, tall ships, with their masts, rigging and white sails outlined against a blue sky, made a procession around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 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
  • One of Ontario’s largest inland lakes and a favorite escape north of Toronto, Lake Simcoe has long supported a serious summer cottage culture of boating around its shoreline estates.
    — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Farther afield are a stabling block, paddocks, a boating lake, and unspoiled woodland.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 July 2026
Definition of boat
Verb
  • England fans are flooding to Miami, with over 30,000 expected for the game as stories of last-minute trips via here, there and everywhere flow as freely as the drinks.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026
  • There is an ethos in the tech industry that talent and information should be able to flow freely and that execution is what ultimately wins.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • The share of younger adults living with parents hovered well below 30% in the early years of the new millennium.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • If the filmmakers present Zidane as an Everyman equivalent to James Joyce’s Leopold Bloom or Camus’ protagonist Meursault, their approach is fertile because the same questions that hover around Meursault also surround Zizou.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • That would have amounted to approximately $27 million per voyage for a very large oil tanker, according to shipping association BIMCO.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Yet, as human spaceflight and voyages beyond Earth-orbit come to prominence once more, with proposals for an outpost on the moon, there is a greater chance of an astronaut being injured and therefore a greater need for medical X-rays in space.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of voyage
Verb
  • Jet skis ferried survivors back to shore while people on the beach provided first aid.
    — Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Embracing a local landmark, the park course had a ramp styled after Sacramento’s Tower Bridge, the State Fair site’s iconic sky ride ferried guests and skateboarder Nyjah Huston of nearby Davis made a podium at age 31.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of ferry
Verb
  • Lounge on the private beach or play sand volleyball, and cruise the lake in complimentary kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards.
    — Tree Meinch, Midwest Living, 11 July 2026
  • The first quarterfinal of this year’s World Cup went by without much drama yesterday with Les Bleus cruising into the semifinals with a simple 2-0 win against a less-than-impressive Morocco.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of cruise
Verb
  • For something slower-paced, float the Penticton channel that connects Okanagan and Skaha lakes on tube rafts.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
  • Others float slowly just below geostationary orbit, listening to the signals emanating from communications and early warning satellites stationed there.
    — Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Who are these slimy gastropods that have been gliding across Earth since before the Ice Age?
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • An endless procession of black SUVs, Escalades, luxury coaches, polished muscle cars and Uber Blacks glided onto West 31st Street.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 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 17 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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