SAILING Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

sailing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of sailing

as in hovering

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

sailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sail

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

as in flowing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 sailing

Verb

The 91-meter (298-foot) Alsu is an oil or chemical tanker sailing from Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, to Aliaga on the Aegean coast, according to the Marine Traffic website. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 The tanker was sailing in the southern shipping lane close to the Omani coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a post on Tuesday, Asia time. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Practice asanas while sailing on a traditional wooden dhow at this Maldivian resort. — Jasreen Mayal Khanna, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026 Yet the language, always extraordinarily resilient, is again sailing toward new horizons in the 21st century. — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 The bureau warned Lang, who was last seen on board Ishi in Hawaii in January 2025, could have been sailing between Hawaii and Fiji or Mexico, headed toward Papua New Guinea, or possibly Indonesia. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The ship was sailing from Lerwick in Shetland to Dundee at the time. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The announcement of additional ships sailing from some ports of call. — Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 18 Aug. 2026 Offensive notes Tommy DeVito settled in nicely after sailing some early throws. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailing

Adjective

The drones then find the best hovering altitude before each lining up to spray the fire, one after the other.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

Miami took control of the game from its first offensive drive and never looked back, subbing in the backups by the end of the third quarter and cruising to its first win of the season.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2026
However, Scholes noted parts of the industry, such as river cruising, aren’t feeling those same impacts.

— Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruising

Verb

Both boats are still floating, though their locations and ownership have changed over the years.

— Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Around noon Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a call from a local golf course patron who noticed a possible body floating downstream in the Dominguez Channel, the department said in a statement.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of floating

Verb

The resort is centered around the 8-acre Evermore Bay, which provides not only a gorgeous tropical backdrop, but also endless option for aquatic adventure from kayaking and boating to swimming and rope swinging.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2026
Families can also go boating to try and spot whale sharks and manatees in the lagoon or opt for less exciting but just as rewarding sunset cruises.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of boating

Verb

The passage of play (below) lasted about 40 seconds from the moment Arsenal’s No 7 started drifting across the pitch, repeatedly calling for the ball to be played left.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
But sometimes, inaccurate coordinates or a drifting boat make the search trickier.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

Winter also brings memorable encounters with whales across Australia, including swimming with dwarf minke whales along the Great Barrier Reef from June through July and spotting migrating humpbacks along the east coast from May through October.

— Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
Grace said her family frequently went swimming together and that Malachi, the youngest of four children, particularly loved the water.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of swimming

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sailers

sailing

sailing into

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“Sailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sailing

adjective

verb

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