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 Eleven sailors were missing at sea on Tuesday from a ship sunk by a drone attack off Bulgaria, possibly the second deadly sinking of a cargo vessel in the area in a week, prompting Bulgaria to summon Russia’s ambassador. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 Five sailors were rescued, while a search for the other 11 crew members continues, Varna district governor Mario Smrkov said. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 Rousseau lamented that accounts of these societies came mainly from merchants, sailors, soldiers and missionaries. — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, an oil portrait of a sailor conjures his time in the Navy. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sailor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailor
  1. mariner
  2. navigator
  3. seaman
Noun
  • The Mexican navy urged mariners and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution, citing high waves, heavy rain and the risk of rising rivers, flooding and landslides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • After between 30 to 45 seconds with Packard in his mouth, the whale had risen to the surface and spat him out, sending him flying through the air in a massive spray that was witnessed by his crewmate and another nearby mariner.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Experts have long suspected Nikumaroro as the landing site of Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, who disappeared in July 1937.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished 22,000 miles into their expedition.
    — Lana Zak, CBS News, 15 Oct. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Sailor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailor. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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