fleet 1 of 2

as in convoy
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a fleet of buses rolling down the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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fleet

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fleet contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fleet are expeditious, fast, hasty, quick, rapid, speedy, and swift. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When could expeditious be used to replace fleet?

In some situations, the words expeditious and fleet are roughly equivalent. However, expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How are the words fast and rapid related as synonyms of fleet?

Both fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves.

fast horses

When is it sensible to use hasty instead of fleet?

While in some cases nearly identical to fleet, hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

When would quick be a good substitute for fleet?

The meanings of quick and fleet largely overlap; however, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

When can rapid be used instead of fleet?

The synonyms rapid and fleet are sometimes interchangeable, but rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

In what contexts can speedy take the place of fleet?

Although the words speedy and fleet have much in common, speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

Where would swift be a reasonable alternative to fleet?

The words swift and fleet can be used in similar contexts, but swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

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 fleet
Noun
David’s Bridal, which operates 193 stores around the U.S., will continue to add to its fleet and invest in stores, Vilk said. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025 But change comes hard to an institution that counted Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general and uses an army of 635,000 union workers and contractors, a fleet of specialized trucks, boats, float planes and even mules to help deliver about 300 pieces of mail daily. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Her star-wattage smile sets the tone for the friendly, fleet front-of-house staff. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Car rental companies divested themselves of many of their fleet cars in the early days of the pandemic, and were not able to quickly replenish them due to microchip shortages and supply chain problems among automakers. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 23 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for fleet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleet
Noun
  • The Israel Defense Forces claimed the convoy was moving suspiciously, without headlights or flashing lights, toward Israeli troops and that members of the emergency teams were militants.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • On Wednesday, a U.N. convoy tried to reach the site but encountered Israeli troops opening fire on people.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • By 540 million years ago, the Cambrian explosion was underway — a rapid diversification of life that saw the emergence of complex multicellular organisms, predatory behavior and the foundations of modern ecosystems.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • These abundant growing vegetables (or fruit?) produce at such rapid speeds that planting them too close together is asking for problems, like stunted growth, plant disease, and a smaller harvest.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Yet the size of the Kremlin’s ICBM armada is many times larger, say the worldwide nuclear weapons monitors at the Federation of American Scientists.
    Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The armada includes a basket on wheels that can collect rebounds and pass balls to players, other robots that can stand in as defenders and a collection of Spot robots from Boston Dynamics.
    Ina Fried, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Warhol is a brisk dip in self-deprecating self-examination.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Monday’s weather for the A’s first home game was unseasonably cool with rain earlier in the day and game-time temperature a brisk 52 degrees with some light wind.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The 2018 humanitarian crisis surrounding the Central American migrant caravan at the U.S.-Mexico border.
    R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Authorities in January found explosives in a caravan, or trailer, that could have created a blast wave of about 130 feet, along with the address of a Sydney synagogue.
    Reuters, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The Bulls were already one of the fastest teams before trading Zach LaVine to the Kings.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
  • But the plan can allow for faster loan forgiveness for certain borrowers who initially took out relatively small student loan amounts.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Pentagon extended the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group and ordered a second flotilla to the Middle East, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Tuesday.
    Davis Winkie, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The profile of the activist — Ramón Saúl Sánchez, known for leading protest flotillas to Cuba — was scrapped.
    Frances Robles, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Adebayo’s early scoring gave the Heat a quick 9-0 lead, and the Grizzlies did not score until 9:35 in the first quarter.
    Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The director is also quick to point out how this mindset is not exclusive to the U.S. but is also widely spreading in Europe and across the world.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleet. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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