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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
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 ship sails to the Caribbean from Miami and Galveston, Texas. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 10 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 Disney Cruise Line Disney sails Halloween on the High Seas voyages in September and October, where passengers will find special decor – including a magical Halloween tree – themed desserts and drinks and other festive activities. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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 The itinerary sails between Juneau and Sitka throughout May and September, with visits to the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, the tiny fishing town of Petersburg, Glacier Bay National Park, and more. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026 Putting more wind in the film’s sails, Domhnall Gleeson (The Paper), who voices the film, has officially come on as an exec producer. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026 But Elordi and the beloved Madigan, who lost her and husband Ed Harris’ Malibu home in the Palisades fire, now have wind in their sails. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Jan. 2026 Across its entire fleet, Norwegian Cruise Line sails to more than 350 destinations around the globe, including Europe, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and more. Erica Olsen, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026 Odysseus walks across land, sails by sea and treks through caves, including one where an ominously large beast appears in the shadows. Abigail Lee, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
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
  • Vera cautions that reactivating Venezuela’s economic growth will be a medium- to-long-term task, but that when the feeling of political change is real, everything flows better, and the feeling of opportunity in the country is real right now.
    Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Then, as Venus and the sun move into Aquarius, communication flows more freely, making flirting fun again and conversations easier.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Each space floats on local zapote wood pillars to avoid covering the ground, leaving most of the jungle intact.
    Gemma Price, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Over half the resort floats to minimize land disruption, there are zero single-use plastics, and even their toilet paper is sourced with eco credentials.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In addition, Abercrombie & Kent continues to broaden its expedition cruise offerings with new voyages around the British Isles, Svalbard, and French Polynesia.
    Josh Roberts, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Passengers seeking outdoor adventure with a side of luxury should opt for Seabourn's high-end voyages, where glacier-view helicopter rides and sea kayaking end with Champagne.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The fanciest, most famous restaurants are still doing mostly table service, but just about every other establishment has been conscripted into the army that ferries hot food out of professional kitchens and into American mouths 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
    Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 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
  • Northwestern’s endowment hovers around $14 billion.
    Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Dellos, the shelter's manager, said the waitlist hovers around 200 people.
    Aaron Bolton, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.
    Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
  • As the rig drifts past the party, Cami pulls Tommy aside to a quiet table away from the celebration.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

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