sails 1 of 2

Definition of sailsnext
present tense third-person singular of sail
1
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

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2
3
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

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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

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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 sails
Verb
The crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru sails through Ise Bay near Chita City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, May 25, 2026, after becoming the first crude tanker bound for Japan to transit the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 May 2026 The neutrino is a nearly weightless particle that sails through matter like a phantasm. Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026 Sooner or later, every ship sails off into the sunset. Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026 The line sails year-round from Southern ports including Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Galveston, and New Orleans. Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026 Most tanker movement in the key Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil typically sails past Iran’s coastline, remains at a halt. Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026 Capasecca Yacht Another bespoke yachting experience, Capasecca — featuring four cabins that sleep up to eight guests — sails the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia and Procida, backed by a family with generations of seafaring heritage. Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026 In response, Iran has nearly halted traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 Iran’s actions have effectively stopped cargo traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails. Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
At that moment, the air in the Lenovo Center was taken right out of the fans’ sails, but a trusty veteran restored that later in the period. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026 The on-site dive center offers sunset sails, snorkeling trips, and PADI scuba certification courses to explore the underwater world. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 In 2020, only nine major ships utilized these modern sails. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026 Unfurling the sails Thermal management isn't the only challenge facing long-range solar sail missions. Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 31 May 2026 The sea lion then dives back underwater as the canoe sails past, where the marine mammal last appeared. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 Currently, the tech team spends days carefully dismantling the giant wing sails, dropping the massive carbon platforms off their foils, and separating the hulls just to fit them inside the 40-foot containers. Andrew Rice, New York Times, 27 May 2026 To say Micron has the wind in its sails is a vast understatement. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 27 May 2026 Currently a bestseller in Scandinavia, this fresh spin on a familiar story sails along at a luxurious pace, bouncing between the brains of the five core friends. Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sails
Verb
  • 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
  • Kennebunkport, Maine Lobster boats bob in the waves and beachcombers search for shells.
    Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But perhaps most controversial is how the update will affect the program’s multibillion-dollar revenue, which flows into the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year and is distributed to various programs.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • The streets are worse, the parks are underfunded, code enforcement is slower, and city investment consistently flows to other parts of town.
    Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Elon Musk reportedly floats SpaceX, Tesla merger Elon Musk has reportedly discussed merging SpaceX with Tesla, a deal that would give the world’s richest person even more control over his sprawling tech empire.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
  • Connor McDavid almost floats above the ice, faster than anyone in the sport’s history.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Ocean cruises often bundle less with their base fares than other types of voyages – though that can also vary significantly by cruise line.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 June 2026
  • Colonists brought honey bees with them on their earliest voyages across the Atlantic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
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
Verb
  • Brock cruises past Amarillo Randall Brock softball held a 3-1 lead over Amarillo Randall in the sixth inning at Abilene Christian University when the bats came alive.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
  • In his highlight video, the inventor ultimately cruises at a top speed of nearly 30 miles per hour.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Mark Bezos—Jeff’s brother—hovers around the bar.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 June 2026
  • Astrology, a pursuit that hovers in the nebulous space between science and storytelling, is not exactly a robust academic field, and LaFaive had no scholarly studies of Goodman’s life or work to consult.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Smoke from the front burners has farther to travel, and a lot of it drifts sideways into the kitchen before the hood can catch it.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2026
  • The smell of simmering garlic and tomatoes drifts through the casual dining rooms where families gather around crowded tables.
    Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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