sail 1 of 2

1
as in to boat
to travel on water in a vessel I can't sail when there's any breeze at all because I get seasick easily

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2
3
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a leaf sailed by, carried by the breeze

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sail

2 of 2

noun

as in voyage
a journey over water in a vessel we went for a brief sail on the bay to relax

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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 sail
Verb
On this day in 1914: The Panama Canal opened to traffic with a U.S. ship sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025 The challenge isn’t whether to use AI or not (that ship has sailed), but making sure human rigor and creative access come first. Nicholas Wyman, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
And Ava’s really excited that Deborah has new wind in her sails after seemingly giving up. Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025 The cruise industry is experiencing growth, with a record 35 million people setting sail in 2024. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sail
Verb
  • The captain was arrested and transported to the King County Jail with charges being referred to the King County Prosecutor for boating under the influence.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Charges were referred to the King County prosecutor for boating under the influence, and the case remains under investigation.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Many of the cheaper products that US customers like to buy used to fall under the de minimis exemption, which allowed items worth less than $800 to flow into the United States duty-free.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
  • As the drinks flow during a gathering of faculty and PhD students at their deluxe digs, Alma’s doting husband Frederick (Michael Stuhlbarg), another shrink, teasingly asks what happens if one of them gets tenure and the other doesn’t.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median employee tenure in US industries hovers around 3.9 years, while voluntary quits remain persistently high.
    William Jones, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • With a barely perceptible lurch, the airboat hurdled the canal bank and seemed to hover above it.
    Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • During their voyage, the crew is reportedly suspected of diving into the Baltic Sea and attaching explosives to the massive Nord Stream pipelines, which subsequently detonated and damaged both lines, according to the outlets ARD, Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Its selection of itineraries tends to be more diverse, including a 93-day voyage next year to Australia and New Zealand that starts and ends in San Diego.
    Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The contract called on SpaceX to use its new rocket, the Falcon 9, along with its Dragon capsule to ferry cargo and supplies to the International Space Station over the course of 12 missions.
    Magdalena Petrova, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
  • This stuff is making its way right up to the surface, potentially ferried through two monster-size blobs sitting at the core-mantle boundary.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The University of Arkansas football team cruised to a 52-7 victory in its season opener against Alabama A&M on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Millions of Americans will be hitting the road this weekend, driving, flying and cruising to destinations near and far.
    Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Several potential sites have been floated for the Royals: the team’s current spot at Kauffman Stadium, downtown Kansas City, North Kansas City and locations across the state line in Kansas.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
  • About two minutes in, a chunk of Ship's skirt — the basal part near its engine bay — broke apart, sending debris floating into the final frontier.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Amenities: Indoor pool, spa, bar, fitness center, on-site restaurant, sauna, bike rental Bonus Tip: Guests can glide along the canals aboard the hotel’s classic tea-and-mahogany saloon boat, which dates to 1924.
    Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2025
  • The pebbled leather is supple and has a nice texture, but your mouse will glide over it effortlessly.
    Henri Robbins, Wired News, 18 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sail. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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