SAILS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

sails 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sail

as in boats

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

Relevance

as in flows

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in floats

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

sails

2 of 2

noun

plural of sail

as in voyages

a journey over water in a vessel we went for a brief sail on the bay to relax

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sails

Verb

Seabourn sails the 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and twin Seabourn Pursuit, two lavish all-suite polar-class expedition ships cruising remote itineraries, each with two submarines. — Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 Some of my favorites are coming back too, like El Pulpo Magnifico, Duane Flatmo's fire-breathing octopus, and the Monaco, a 40-foot ship with three masts that sails across dust instead of water. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Better yet, take a coastal cruise with Cape Ann Harbor Tours, which sails past six regional lighthouses. — Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026 Nelson’s mind quickly sails from cold floor-pragmatics to high theory. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the boat that sails non-stop fastest around the world. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Star of the Seas still sails out of Port Canaveral, housing guests on what is tied for the title of world’s largest cruise ship. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026 As the ship sails the Antarctic Peninsula, passengers go on excursions, such as taking a Zodiac or kayaking, to view wildlife and immerse themselves in nature. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Odysseus sails closer to Scylla on the advice of Circe, who had identified Charybdis as more dangerous. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026

Noun

The vessel sails under a Comoro Islands flag and was bought by Arkos Capital, based in Riga, Lithuania. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 Jumping behind the steering wheel of one of the boats Nordstrom sails on feels like crawling into the cockpit of a race car rather than the cabin of an elegant yacht. — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 These maritime destinations are a fitting place for Evans’s collection of images handprinted onto heritage yacht sails, each with its own pedigree. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026 Getting wind behind its award season sails, the sweeping Spanish-language drama that Netflix acquired out of the Cannes Film Festival for an awards season push picked up the top audience award after also screening in Telluride. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026 Downpatrick has already tried kite skiing in Switzerland and is eager to feel the wind in his sails again. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026 The maritime industry is under pressure to clean up its act, giving rise to everything from high-tech rigid wing sails to pioneering zero-emission designs like the Yara Birkeland all-electric autonomous cargo vessel. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 But the real entertainment is watching the six sails unfurl valiantly in the breeze as the sailing yachts, Wind Star, Wind Spirit, and Wind Surf, get underway to whisk passengers to the next idyllic Greek village. — Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 Solis and colleagues heard from mobile home park residents that landlords were barring them from installing shade sails or window air conditioners in their homes. — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sails

Verb

Down at the lake, boats just off the shore slowed to listen while swimmers took in the music from floaties.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Shrimp boats bob in the harbor, American flags flutter from pastel porches and old oak trees draped in Spanish moss offer cool shade.

— Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

Definition of boats

Verb

The beavers can't talk, and the trees can't see, and the river only flows in one direction.

— Corey Seymour, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
While oil flows from the Middle East have risen and now top 75% of pre-war volumes, crude prices will take longer to fall, according to Gregory Brew, an energy analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

Who actually needs digestive enzymes Signs of a genuine enzyme deficiency include diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, unexplained weight loss and fatty or oily stool that floats.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
On the sundeck, for example, candy floats in the resin bar top and Murano glass sweets sit on the front of the hot tub.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of floats

Noun

The company also operates the Aqua Expeditions brand, which will have some very adventurous trips in 2027, including voyages on the Tonlé Sap in Cambodia on the 40-guest Aqua Mekong.

— Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2026
In response, buyers have turned to crude produced in the Americas, which must be shipped via long transoceanic voyages.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of voyages

Verb

The blockage of the strait, which normally ferries 20% of the world's oil, sent global energy prices soaring.

— Kevin Breuninger,Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Iran has effectively halted trade traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime trade route that ferries roughly 20% of the world’s petroleum.

— Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026

Definition of ferries

Verb

After lingering over spaghetti alle vongole at Ristorante Lido Azzurro, which hovers over the sea near Amalfi’s harbor, zip around the coast to sea caverns and grottos, pausing for dips in secluded spots away from the crowds.

— Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Those sources said that Cultural Counsel’s workforce now hovers around 18.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of hovers

Verb

And as the story drifts to Miami, London, New York, and back to Kingston again, it’s held together by James’ passion for the era’s pop culture and his characters’ will to survive in the face of hatred.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 22 Sep. 2026
All parents struggle in some way to adjust to life as empty nesters, but Charlie leaves his mom and dad in a somber, reflective state that casts a heavy pall over an episode that drifts toward the turgid.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of drifts

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sails

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tittle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes