sailor

noun

ˈsā-lər How to pronounce sailor (audio)
Definition of sailornext
as in mariner
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel the sailors were glad to be arriving in port after their long voyage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 sailor Lucente’s fresh screen version of the classic sailor tale is due to begin pre-production in early 2027 and to deliver in March 2029. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026 The sailors were brought to the island’s southern port of Galle on Saturday after Sri Lankan authorities received a distress call seeking medical help, said Thushara Rodrigo, the foreign ministry spokesperson. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Buried under the rubble were 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 Navy sailors and three Army soldiers. — Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 When rescuers finally arrived, only 316 of those sailors were pulled from the water alive. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sailor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailor
  1. mariner
  2. navigator
  3. seaman
Noun
  • Altogether, at least 30 mariners have been killed or are missing in the recent surge of attacks, according to maritime tracking services and the governments of Romania and Bulgaria.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
  • He is venerated as a patron saint of sailors, mariners, travelers, and whales.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Ian Estenor is a program navigator at Veterans Forward, a support and career development program run by the National Able Network.
    — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026
  • In 1955, Sir Stirling Moss, the legendary British Formula 1 and endurance racer, took a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to victory in that year’s Mille Miglia road race with brave navigator Denis Jenkinson at his side.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of navigator
Noun
  • The charge of seaman's manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
    — Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Hernandez was charged with two counts of misconduct of a ship officer resulting in death under the seaman’s manslaughter statute and released on a $50,000 bond at his presentment in Manhattan federal court two days after the incident.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of seaman

Browse Nearby Words

sail into
sailor
sailors
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sailor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailor. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All