as in canoes
a small, light boat that is usually for only one person
She rowed the skiff to her favorite spot on the pond and cast her line.
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Recent Examples of skiffs
The same skiffs also take you to nearby lakes for a spot of swimming or piranha fishing; and on visits to remote villages.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
With the right wind, the little skiffs skate across the ice, reaching top speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour.
—Francesca Krempa, AFAR Media, 27 Jan. 2026
But those were mere skiffs by comparison with the general-entertainment battleships.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
The dive shop loads us up on one of the skiffs for near-shore diving, hauling us out to a historical wreck site on their larger double-decker catamaran.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
With the right wind, the little skiffs skate across the ice, reaching top speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour.
—Francesca Krempa, AFAR Media, 27 Jan. 2026
But those were mere skiffs by comparison with the general-entertainment battleships.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
The dive shop loads us up on one of the skiffs for near-shore diving, hauling us out to a historical wreck site on their larger double-decker catamaran.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skiffs
Noun
-
Right then, with both canoes in plain sight, a moose showed up at the edge of the alders across the lake.—
Fred Bear,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
-
There are also locations to rent snowshoes and canoes, and places to swim, picnic and ride a boat.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Compared with tilted plastic rafts used in warmer climates, this design attaches flexible solar panels directly to thick, waterproof foam sheets, reducing wind exposure.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
-
Bring sleeping bags, air mattresses, and pool rafts out as the seating and enjoy the show (with popcorn of course).—
Parents,
Parents,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
His longer-term goal is to identify new technologies, prototype them, and move them into production by using yachts like Leviathan as test beds in real-world conditions.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
-
Then the plutocrats circled their yachts.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skiffs. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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