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 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 The Star Breeze sails year-round in French Polynesia, with voyages departing almost every week, according to the cruise line’s website. Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026 Where National Geographic Endurance Sails Endurance often sails in icy waters, including those in the Arctic and around Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands. Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025 Orgon’s only ally is his domineering parade float of a mother, Madame Pernelle (the Bianca del Rio), who sails onto the stage in high dudgeon at the top of the play. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025 Jackson sails a pass to tight end Blake Smith on second down, setting up third-and-5. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 29 Nov. 2025 The voyage takes off from Miami, travels to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas then sails back to Miami. Katie Bain, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025 Royal Caribbean sails itineraries to 270-plus destinations in 60-plus countries on six continents. Jessica Peralta, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 Researchers know about the wrecks because reporting any commercial ship that sails on the lakes is required; from the early 19th century to the 20th century, about 40,000 ships sailed the Great Lakes, Baillod said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Conte said the canopy, which has been in the works for a few years, is planned to have large sails in colors such as red, blue, orange, yellow and green. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026 There’s no pivot, no walk-back, not even a political trimming of the sails. Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2026 This 11-night voyage from Vancouver stops in Hilo and Kailua Kona on the Big Island and sails along Kauai's rugged Napali Coast before disembarking in Honolulu. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026 The visuals still take some getting used to — the lonely kicker set up 30 yards behind the nearest teammate, the coverage players and opposing blockers standing frozen as the kick sails over their heads. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026 Standing at around one metre tall and less than half a metre in diameter, it is designed to integrate into existing rigging without interfering with sails or deck operations. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026 If maintaining the sails is crucial for nautical movement, then maintaining your physical health is crucial for life movement. Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026 All vertical panels catch the wind like sails. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2026 There’s a sense here that you’ve been invited to an Italian writer’s island bolthole, where oil lamps cast a sultry amber glow across table conversation and linen curtains swell like sails in the hot breeze. Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 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
  • Decline, and the money flows to other states, taking tens of millions in tutoring and academic support with it.
    Shlomo Soroka, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
  • More than a third of founders were women, a signal of inclusion in an industry where capital still overwhelmingly flows to men.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • McCollough’s take on a Queen Anne’s cabinet floats magically in a corner (open the doors for a surprise).
    Grace Edquist, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
  • James Provost In practical terms, this shouldn’t create any noticeable interference, given that this transmitter puts out milliwatts at most and floats miles away from the nearest receiver.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Genetic studies of ancient and modern Rapanui confirm their Polynesian origins while also suggesting limited contact with South America, likely the result of later voyages rather than founding migration.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Only then can alarm systems fulfill their intended purpose – supporting crews, safeguarding lives, and ensuring safer voyages for all.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • In late November, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which ferries 80% of all Kazakh oil supplies from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea, said it had been attacked twice in four days.
    Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The seven-night Alaska Dawes Glacier itinerary on Celebrity Edge cruises round-trip from Seattle and visits Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, sailing through the scenic Endicott Arm and Inside Passage along the way.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
  • While scramjets require a boost from rockets or jet engines to reach operating speed, the AFRL design imagines a sleigh that accelerates to hypersonic speed, sheds its boosters, and cruises efficiently across continents without destroying its crew.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The Lilith Society becomes an escape, particularly as the legacy of McCarthyism hovers over the city.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Chicago's waste diversion rate – the amount of garbage being recycled instead of dumped in landfills – hovers around 10%.
    Tara Molina, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • How the room softens, how people exhale, how laughter drifts back in and the air feels lighter.
    Adrianne Wright, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
  • As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.
    Phil Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

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