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
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 Much will depend on what happens with the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast, where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails. Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2026 Kate Stewart, who has carried the Texas offense tonight, sails a long double into center field to score pinch runner Adayah Wallace and now has three of the four Longhorn RBIs. Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026 That often sails round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver with stops such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026 Two examples of these itineraries are Celebrity’s transatlantic sailing from Orlando, Florida, to Southampton, England (by way of Bermuda and Lisbon), and this 23-day transpacific journey aboard Windstar Cruises, which sails from Tokyo to Vancouver. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026 The company sails out of 22 ports across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Lorraine Mirabella, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2026 The story is a post-apocalyptic tale in which a convict, played by Fischbach, sails an ocean of blood in a submarine in order to search for resources and discovers increasingly terrifying secrets. William Earl, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Iran has nearly halted traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil sails from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. Matt Ott, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026 The design allows the sails to rotate a full 360 degrees, while the masts can tilt by as much as 70 degrees to optimize wind angles. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026 Now is the time to plan ahead and set up your shade situation, and sun sails are one of the easiest and most effective ways to shade your whole patio at once. Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026 Most impactfully, the film is popular enough that Tom Cruise sails to an Academy Award victory in Best Supporting Actor. Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026 Worries are centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast where a fifth of the world’s oil sails on a typical day. Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 Now, Situationist has some wind in its sails. Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026 Every vessel sails under the flag of a nation, and that nation is theoretically responsible for regulating and inspecting it. Charles Edward Gehrke, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026 The new shade sails at Tunnel Top Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale are getting a mixed response ranging from high praise to snarky criticism. Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 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
  • Almost a third of global container shipping flows through the Suez Canal.
    Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 13 Mar. 2026
  • In a league of her own Adelson’s political money flows overwhelmingly to Republicans.
    Philip Jankowski Austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Lawn terrace The cooking area in this outdoor kitchen space floats above an elegant lawn terrace surrounded by a sinuous retaining wall in this space by Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture.
    Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Jordan Pope floats home his second bucket of the half for the Longhorns.
    Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • That makes her ideal for both Mediterranean island-hopping and longer voyages.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Now with a dozen all-suite, luxury cruise and expedition ships, Silversea’s fleet voyages to enchanting destinations around the globe.
    Susan B. Barnes, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The whippet-fast lift system got even more efficient this season with the introduction of the Explorer Gondola, the world’s speediest 10-person gondola that ferries skiers from base to peak on heated seats.
    Amy Tara Koch, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Harry Styles cruises into the weekend with a new chart crown, as Kiss All The Time.
    Lars Brandle, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Cole Winn, a one-time failed starter who is re-inventing his life as a reliever, cruises through the sixth.
    Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The friction between Space Florida and NASA hovers over the federal agency’s most ambitious mission in half a century — Artemis II, slated for takeoff next month.
    Katelyn Ferral, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
  • On the journey, she gets drawn into her own family’s history and trauma and uncovers a painful legacy that hovers like a dark cloud over the women in the family.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Carlson-Wee drifts over to him.
    Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
  • One notable feature is how often the stock has managed to bottom once the RSI drifts toward the midpoint of its range.
    Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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