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
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
Amber Dance, ArsTechnica, 17 May 2026
The pair finished up with Colbert sending a congratulatory cake from the network – a multi-layered wedding-style beast – sailing downward.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 May 2026
But a small number of ships with Iranian cargo are still sailing.
—Adina Renner, New York Times, 15 May 2026
That includes the Caribbean Princess, sailing from Fort Lauderdale.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sailing
Verb
Janisch-Hanzlik ended up sailing through the follow-up without side effects.
—Amber Dance, ArsTechnica, 17 May 2026
The pair finished up with Colbert sending a congratulatory cake from the network – a multi-layered wedding-style beast – sailing downward.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 May 2026
But a small number of ships with Iranian cargo are still sailing.
—Adina Renner, New York Times, 15 May 2026
That includes the Caribbean Princess, sailing from Fort Lauderdale.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailing
Adjective
-
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
-
This is surprising for something that is supposed to require less hovering, especially if the host is out of hearing range of the device's alerts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sighting Shebara The speedboat and its four passengers—the captain, the skipper, my aforementioned scuba instructor and I—are cruising along the water when a mirage seems to appear in the distance, strung out like giant pearls floating on top of the sea.—
Lauren Keith,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
-
That deployment model remains relatively unusual within expedition cruising, where many vessels stay tied to a single geography.—
Rachel Ingram,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The money keeps flowing into AI infrastructure, which will support the earnings of companies like Dell, HPE, and the chipmakers.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
But details aren’t exactly flowing yet.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The hotel has put conservation at its core, visible in a shimmering field of floating solar panels, which I am told is one of the largest arrays in southeast Asia.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
The image of James’s paper lantern, let go and floating up into the night sky like a second moon, augurs his eventual fleeing from his family.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, the action includes top-tier spider combat and awesome web-slinging and web-gliding traversal abilities.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Hooker vanished on April 4 while boating near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands with her husband, Brian Hooker.—
Kelsie Cairns , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
The boating company, which offers tours, sales, and storage, has been a local institution since 1873.—
Katy Spratte Joyce,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Although Nilsson would likely disagree, her work affirms that all of us are drifting toward oblivion, with the best days of our lives like so much confetti in the wind.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The placement of the bite suggests the whale was likely scavenged after death, its body drifting belly-up through ancient seas.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
As for the fish, which was reportedly found swimming in a plastic container in Irizarry’s backpack, it was taken to the Flagler County Humane Society.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
Born April 20, 1959, in Sittard, Netherlands, Hof has set multiple Guinness World Records for cold endurance including running a barefoot half-marathon above the Arctic Circle, climbing to 7,400 meters on Mount Everest in shorts and swimming under ice.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
