: a sturdy buoyant boat (such as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially in saving lives at sea
Examples of lifeboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the crew got into the ship's metal lifeboat, which capsized within minutes, USA Today reported.
—
Latoya Gayle, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Passengers on the other lifeboat were able to pull two of the crew members out of the water.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2025
The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels.
—arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea.
—CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
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.
Latoya Gayle, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Passengers on the other lifeboat were able to pull two of the crew members out of the water.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2025
The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels.
—arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea.
—CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
Cite this Entry
“Lifeboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lifeboat
noun
life·boat
-ˌbōt 
: a sturdy boat (as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially for saving lives at sea
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share