1
as in cruising
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
2
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
sailed through the latest assignment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in floating
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
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Recent Examples of sailing
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
The near-misses — Mark Andrews dropping that frozen pass last January in Buffalo; Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal sailing wide right in Pittsburgh last week — start to feel like statements too loud to ignore.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Marinera, formerly Bella-1 The Marinera — which has historically carried Venezuelan crude oil and was sanctioned by the Treasury Department — was sailing under the Russian flag.
—Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
After her inaugural season sailing the Caribbean this winter, the Star Princess will make the voyage through the Panama Canal to kick off a series of Alaska cruises in the summer of 2026.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sailing
Verb
Now the ball was in the air, sailing toward the end zone.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
The near-misses — Mark Andrews dropping that frozen pass last January in Buffalo; Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal sailing wide right in Pittsburgh last week — start to feel like statements too loud to ignore.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Marinera, formerly Bella-1 The Marinera — which has historically carried Venezuelan crude oil and was sanctioned by the Treasury Department — was sailing under the Russian flag.
—Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
After her inaugural season sailing the Caribbean this winter, the Star Princess will make the voyage through the Panama Canal to kick off a series of Alaska cruises in the summer of 2026.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailing
Verb
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When the King visited Greenland in April—looking jaunty and at ease while cruising on a fjord with the Prime Minister, and taking a coffee-and-cake break with locals at a cultural center in Nuuk—the contrast with Vance’s gloomy trip couldn’t have been starker.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Calling on Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, Wrangell, Rudyerd Bay (Misty Fjords), and, finally, Prince Rupert in British Columbia, the itinerary also includes scenic cruising through Stephens Passage, Decision Passage, Stikine Strait, and the Behm Canal.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The pennies could start flowing again, perhaps easing a shortage in some markets, after the Federal Reserve announced an upcoming shift in the distribution system of old 1-cent coins.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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Now more diners are flowing through, gazing at the handwritten menu on the wall affixed with neat strips of orange tape, or calling ahead.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The vessel is capable of station keeping and hovering.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Half of Jewish Americans ages 18-34 believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza; that percentage number is hovering in the 30s among older groups, according to a September 2025 poll by the Washington Post.—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Coral Gables man operating the boat that ran over and killed a 15-year-old girl wakeboarding behind a yacht in Biscayne Bay pleaded guilty to misdemeanor careless-boating charges Monday in a Miami-Dade County court.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Afternoons here are deliciously drowsy, spent dozing in the shade, gently parting calm sea water, or gliding past craggy rock formations in a little motor-boat.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
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That’s why the team turned to look into how these insects transition between jumping, flapping, and gliding.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Admittedly, my jewelry is often treated as an afterthought during travel, floating at the bottom of my toiletry bag or in a random duffel pocket.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
15 Jan. 2026
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Injecting the drug in space wasn't easy, however, as microgravity turned the liquid in the vial into floating drops that had to be hunted down with the needle.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Max Houser 6-Tier Hanging Closet Shelf Instantly create more hanging space with this fabric shelving unit that makes use of otherwise dead vertical space.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Dec. 2025
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Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The area is near a military base in neighboring Poland, a NATO member, that serves as a key hub for ferrying Western military supplies to Kyiv.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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At Rafah, Jolie met with members of the humanitarian aid nonprofit Red Crescent and with truck drivers responsible for ferrying humanitarian aid into Gaza.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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