sailed

verb

past tense of sail
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in flowed
to move or proceed smoothly and readily sailed through the latest assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Some guests have sailed their own boats; few would be caught dead on a big ship. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026 Rutherford sailed past the Nordic countries of Norway and Sweden just a few days ago, and crossed into waters controlled by the Russian government this weekend. — Henry Larson, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026 First baseman Nolan Schanuel fired the ball back to third to try to nail Edwards, but his throw sailed over the head of Neto at shortstop, allowing another run. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 The Speedwell had sailed first from Holland to England, bringing about 45 passengers and supplies to join the voyage for religious freedom to North America. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 That ship sailed with the trade deadline, which passed on Monday without the Yankees dealing for any major league catchers. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Yacht tracking data provided to CNBC from VesselFinder shows that after the auction, Amadea sailed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina. — Robert Frank, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 Murray sailed a throw down the left sideline in Jefferson’s direction. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 July 2026 The 43% growth sailed by the company’s guidance of 39% to 40% growth. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailed
  1. ferried
  2. flowed
  3. hovered
  4. cruised
  5. drifted
  6. floated
  7. boated
  8. glided
Verb
  • Middle Eastern producers have ferried cargoes out of the Gulf as part of a shuttle program put in place by several countries in the region.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Soufflet Vigne, the French agricultural supply and winemaking service company, ferried back and forth water tanks and pumps typically used for fermentation and production to provide water sources for firefighters.
    — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
Definition of ferried
Verb
  • But the tone suggests Tehran may be taking a tougher stance, which could further delay a full return of transits through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil supply flowed before the war.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The new report’s findings agreed with other analyses suggesting that capital investment has flowed into Opportunity Zones and that the investment has been unevenly distributed.
    — Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowed
Verb
  • Between 2002 to 2014, sequels hovered somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of the overall annual box office, with a few peaks and valleys in between.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As temperatures hovered around 80 degrees and few clouds obscured a bright blue sky, many people took the opportunity to enjoy a summer day last week at Montrose Beach.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hovered
Verb
  • The Red Sox had cruised to a 13-1 win on Friday night, rolling to that victory one night after rallying five times against the White Sox in a 13-inning marathon.
    — Curt Anderson, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Blakely cruised through her difficult release moves, closing her effort with a perfectly stuck dismount and a beaming smile.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruised
Verb
  • Reilly two-putted for par, and won the match when Cowan's par putt drifted to the right.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On Wednesday, Omani authorities said the spill had drifted to reach the mainland, affecting 25 miles (40km) of the Ras Madrakah coastline, more than 124 miles (200km) away from the tanker.
    — Sarah El Sirgany, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifted
Verb
  • European leaders have even floated a boycott of FIFA events, while execs behind closed doors are plotting rival tournaments that could leave Infantino on the outside looking in before the next election cycle.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The notion that Ellison would exit California if the state AGs sued to block the Paramount-WBD merger was floated in an item last month by Semafor.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Aug. 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
  • Jones, in the first major race of his political career, faces a staunch challenge in Thompson, who has held the seat for 30 years and glided into the general election with almost 41% of the vote.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • Silent and purposeful, the pelicans cut through a raucous chaos of gulls at the end of the wharf and glided on into the marsh.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of glided

Browse Nearby Words

sailboats
sailed
sailed into
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Cite this Entry

“Sailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailed. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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