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

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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 Now, congressional Democrats are probing whether sailors on a current deployment to the Middle East are experiencing the typical discomfort of life at sea or something worse. — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 In addition, such subs can be used for boring routine patrols or be sent into hostile environments without risking sailors or much more valuable platforms. — David Szondy august 17, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026 The Navy also met its target with 45,000 sailors, while the Air Force recruited nearly 33,000 airmen. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Iran war puts military packages in limbo USA TODAY reported in April that sailors aboard the carrier and the USS Tripoli hadn't received care packages and weren't routinely being fed fresh food. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sailor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailor
  1. mariner
  2. navigator
  3. seaman
Noun
  • The terrain is varied, both spiritual and physical, and seems to cover land and sea, thanks to Current 93’s mariner-like contributions.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • At one point, up to 20,000 mariners and 2,000 ships were stuck in the Gulf, with only a few vessels squeezing through the strait each day.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Allison Espeseth is Director of Covering Wisconsin, which is Wisconsin’s navigator program and a part of University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
    — Rebecca Myerson, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Supporters of the theory believe that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan became stranded on the remote island after failing to reach Howland Island — possibly dying as castaways.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of navigator
Noun
  • Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, of Miami, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to seaman’s manslaughter, according to court records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • The operator of a tugboat that was pushing a construction barge that ran over a sailboat last summer in Biscayne Bay, killing three summer campers, pleaded guilty to seaman’s manslaughter in federal court on Tuesday.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of seaman

Browse Nearby Words

sail into
sailor
sailors
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Cite this Entry

“Sailor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailor. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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