sails 1 of 2

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
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 Before the quartet of late November and December holiday sailings begins, the ship sails an almost identical route along the Seine between March and November. Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026 The moment Gabriel sails the penalty kick over the net – and PSG turns nerves into jubilation. Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 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 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
Noun
Operational control is first-rate, thanks to Rondal’s high-tech carbon rig and integrated sailing system, along with Doyle’s sails and Royal Huisman’s internal build expertise. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026 Politics and traumatic events can be like gusts of wind that push the sails of a family into having to process what occurred from different racial perspectives. Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 11 June 2026 Giant shade sails soften the harsh summer sun, giving everything a soft glow. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026 Tweens and teens can also try knot-tying, help raise the sails, play pirate games, and visit the bridge. Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026 Most shade sails are made from a breathable material that doesn’t offer protection from rain. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 Many of the sails used to construct the oversized shorts came from those family sailing trips, including voyages to Key West. Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026 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 In theory, these sails should slash fuel bills. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 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
  • Oil futures have dropped and gas prices have eased on optimism that flows through the Strait of Hormuz will pick up now that the US-Iran agreement has been signed.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
  • Goldman Sachs cut its oil price forecast Tuesday, projecting Brent to average $80 in late 2026 and $75 in 2027, citing a faster-than-expected recovery in Persian Gulf crude flows.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • People hold their phones up to improve their views of the parade floats on Maiden Lane and Broadway.
    Amina Kilpatrick, NBC news, 19 June 2026
  • As if value just floats in thin air and evil aldermen are firing bazookas in its saintly direction.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The North African country is also a major transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East escaping war and economic pressures by taking risky sea voyages to Europe.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026
  • Morand said these voyages represented only one part of Connecticut’s maritime connection to slavery.
    Calista Oetama, Hartford Courant, 22 June 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
  • As if rapping from a speeding time machine, Wiki flows about yellow taxis turning into Uber Eats over an instrumental that cruises from a soft breakbeat into a total breakdown of glitchy scratches courtesy of Lil Ugly Mane.
    Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
  • The aircraft cruises at 75 knots and can sprint at 90 knots.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Building on a recurring motif of witches, Woods has Emily and Sylvia lift off during a thunderstorm, soaring above the city skyline in a sequence that hovers between dream and fantasy.
    Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026
  • Bubblegum-pink parasols frame the infinity pool, which hovers over the private sandy beach and shows off views spanning all the way to the Lérins Islands.
    Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Romantic Venus drifts through your 12th House of Solitude and Healing, forming a sextile to radical Uranus in your 10th House of Career, so private reflection can shape bold improvements.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
  • Many spots in Bali do these well, but The Seed fully embraces the pleasure of showering beneath open skies while warm evening air drifts through tropical greenery.
    Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

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