SAILED Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

sailed

verb

past tense of sail

as in ferried

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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as in flowed

to move or proceed smoothly and readily sailed through the latest assignment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hovered

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

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 sailed Henderson picked it up and sailed a throw to first, allowing the tying run to score. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 More than five centuries ago, the son of a wool weaver from Genoa sailed westward to widen the boundaries of the known world. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026 The Huskers had an opportunity to add to their lead at the end of the first half, but Cunanan's 40-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Aubrey's 65-yard attempt with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter sailed wide left. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 Before its commissioning, the destroyer sailed from Norfolk to Florida and then traveled to Alaska through the Panama Canal. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026 Aubrey’s 65-yard attempt with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter sailed wide left. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 His shot sailed short side over Grubauer’s blocker and just under the crossbar. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 The family sailed on the Lusitania in 1914, a year before a German torpedo sank the ship and killed nearly twelve hundred people. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailed

Verb

Treasury said Caspian had transported IRGC personnel and weapons to Syria and said Meraj had ferried illicit cargo, including weapons, to the Syrian government.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
But that requires arms with minor-league options who can be ferried between Triple-A Albuquerque and Denver.

— Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferried

Verb

But that night, as the drinks flowed, Pattinson couldn’t help but riff on what an actor might do with the character.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
The money allegedly flowed through a web of companies and bank accounts in Antigua, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and elsewhere.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of flowed

Verb

However, the unheated pool in Staten Island instead felt bone-chilling in the early May temperatures, which hovered at a low 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
The cost of Brent crude, the international standard, has hovered around $99 on Wednesday.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hovered

Verb

In a statement to CBS Colorado, the FAA said that a safety risk assessment identified incidents in which aircraft drifted toward other planes departing at the same time on parallel runways.

— Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The smoke has drifted as far as the Philippines, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of drifted

Verb

Zacharia was not as well known to the press corps compared to other candidates whose names were floated for press secretary following the departure of Karoline Leavitt in August.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Brandon Jones floated to his right, then realized what was happening a quarter of a football field away.

— Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of floated

Verb

Over two partial days and one full day of fishing – roughly 15 hours total – the three of us boated 53 catfish up to 25 pounds.

— Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 29 Aug. 2025
Many of the 30,000 tourists last year who boated down the Paraguay River beside the Serra do Amolar, about 60 miles downriver from Porto Jofre, were guests on liveaboard fishing charters.

— Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2025

Definition of boated

Verb

The pinkish squid glided two miles beneath the surface, its long, pale legs trailing from undulating fins, stunning scientists who know remarkably little about its diet, behavior or reproduction.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Merino glided away from challenges to keep Arsenal in control.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of glided

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sailboats

sailed

sailed into

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Style

“Sailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailed. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sailed

verb

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