: 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
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The Oceanic lifted the lifeboat onto its deck and brought it to New York.
—
Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
This bought the crew time to launch the lifeboats safely rather than feeling their way in complete darkness, Titanic analyst Parks Stephenson told BBC News.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
The position of a lifeboat davit, a piece of equipment used to lower the craft, corroborates testimony that Murdoch was, in fact, washed out to sea as the crew prepared to launch it.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Back in Spring, Matheson knows the exact position of the 20 lifeboats on the Titanic — far too few to service the people aboard.
—Janet Manley, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeboat
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Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
This bought the crew time to launch the lifeboats safely rather than feeling their way in complete darkness, Titanic analyst Parks Stephenson told BBC News.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
The position of a lifeboat davit, a piece of equipment used to lower the craft, corroborates testimony that Murdoch was, in fact, washed out to sea as the crew prepared to launch it.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Back in Spring, Matheson knows the exact position of the 20 lifeboats on the Titanic — far too few to service the people aboard.
—Janet Manley, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2025.
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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
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