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

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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
The charter Girardeau sailed with was about four miles out and almost at the its trip when word of the hammerhead was radioed out — the crew decided to take a chance and sped up the coast 15 minutes to see the shark still sauntering in the sea. — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026 Surf, sail and pick up padel For every traveler who wants to kick back and relax on their vacation, there’s another who refuses to sit still. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
The yacht carries a wardrobe of jibs, staysails, gaff main and gaff foresail, and topmast and fisherman staysails, setting eight sails in her full racing configuration. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026 Have your own postcard worthy memory with Smile N’ Wave, a charter company that offers sails that specialize in everything from snorkeling to swimming to dolphin chasing from their shaded 31-foot catamaran. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 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
  • In Antonioni’s film, after a woman disappears during a boating vacation, her partner and her best friend travel around looking for her, while the bond between them tightens and their grip on the threads of certainty loosens.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This event allows the public to enjoy kayaking waters normally closed to boating, while simultaneously aiding in preserving the lagoon habitat by removing trash.
    — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 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
  • The move marked the first voyage of the Bangkok Maersk through the canal since it was built in 2025.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • All eyes were on Brooks’ maiden voyage on his first arena tour in a decade.
    — Heather Bushman, USA Today, 21 Aug. 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
  • Restrictions on energy, electricity or critical minerals, something Ford also floated, could instead raise costs for American companies and consumers by making key inputs more expensive or harder to obtain.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The soda bottles sat atop floating coasters that carried the drinks across the food truck counter and dropped them into a slot so customers could retrieve them below.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sail

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