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.
Related Words
Relevance
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 skiffs
In addition to the impeccable service, fine dining, and luxury accommodations, one constant was our daily sightings of pink dolphins that would play around the boat and our skiffs during our four-night sailing.
—
Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 21 Oct. 2025
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
-
Even before the expedition reached land, Islanders had gone out to the ships, paddling canoes or reed bundles, or just swimming, unafraid and unarmed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Reunited with the men, the family crosses the Mekong in canoes to refugee camps in Thailand on a dark and rainy night.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Diving bell spiders, for example, trap air bubbles to survive underwater, while fire ants link their water-repellent bodies together to form floating rafts during floods.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Yet the massive Coast Guard operation to prevent Cubans, who usually arrive on homemade boats and rafts, and Haitians, usually arriving on overloaded sailboats and rustic freighters, from landing continued.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The view from the top of the castle looks down upon a glittering bay below, filled with mega-yachts and cruise ships.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Renowned British designer Malcolm McKeon, famous for creating elegant, unfussy sailing yachts, penned the exterior, combining the sleekness and balance of a sloop with the volume and comfort of a superyacht.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skiffs. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
