1
as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
the editorial was docked by about a hundred words to make it fit on the page
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2
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
the boxer's tail was docked soon after birth
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as in landing
to stop at or near a place along the shore
the cruise ship docked at the first port of call early the next morning
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Recent Examples of docking
Tariq Malik, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The billionaire spacewalker slid in a new Artemis III for 2027 so astronauts could practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The crew is testing life support systems and practicing Orion's manual handling and docking capabilities.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Those tests will include rendezvous and docking exercises between Orion and at least one commercial lunar lander.
—Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
The test, called the Proximity Operations Demonstration, will enable the crew to safely practice docking Orion and piloting the capsule in manual mode, a step that will be necessary during future missions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
The Queen Mary 2 is briefly back in Los Angeles for the first time in two decades, and the luxury ocean liner took time to cruise by its namesake in Long Beach before docking.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The historic waterfront stretch is constructed from 19th-century cobblestones and chock-full of cute restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops, all offering spectacular views of the Savannah River and docking cargo ships.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean docking a carrier next to a data center and running a cable inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
At one point, Glover was close enough to make out not just docking targets, but also an American Flag emblazoned on the rocket stage.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The billionaire spacewalker slid in a new Artemis III for 2027 so astronauts could practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The crew is testing life support systems and practicing Orion's manual handling and docking capabilities.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Those tests will include rendezvous and docking exercises between Orion and at least one commercial lunar lander.
—Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
The test, called the Proximity Operations Demonstration, will enable the crew to safely practice docking Orion and piloting the capsule in manual mode, a step that will be necessary during future missions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
The Queen Mary 2 is briefly back in Los Angeles for the first time in two decades, and the luxury ocean liner took time to cruise by its namesake in Long Beach before docking.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The historic waterfront stretch is constructed from 19th-century cobblestones and chock-full of cute restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops, all offering spectacular views of the Savannah River and docking cargo ships.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
That doesn't mean docking a carrier next to a data center and running a cable inside.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Docking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docking. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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