as in wharves
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the boat remained tied up at the dock for a week, waiting for the weather to clear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in shortens
to make less in extent or duration
the editorial was docked by about a hundred words to make it fit on the page
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shaves
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
the boxer's tail was docked soon after birth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lands
to stop at or near a place along the shore
the cruise ship docked at the first port of call early the next morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 docks
Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The nearly 30,000-square-foot warehouse features six loading docks, large storage areas throughout the facility and twice the amount of cooler space than previously available for refrigerated products.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
The London docks, namely Rum Quay at the West India Docks, were the epicenter of the global rum trade from the 18th century through World War II; tens of thousands of casks, holding millions of gallons of rum from British colonies throughout the Caribbean, were aged and blended there.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Portofino’s central piazzetta and docks are a 15-minute walk or 5-minute shuttle ride away from Splendido; the shuttle drops off passengers at Splendido Mare, the sister property in the heart of the action.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Amazon plans to knock down the old Petey's restaurant and build a sprawling retail facility spanning more than 220,000 square feet on 35 acres with seven loading docks.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Alongside the retail building will be 837 parking spaces and seven loading docks, according to Amazon’s application.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Holly Hunter plays Nahla Ake, both captain of the USS Athena and chancellor of the academy, where the starship’s detachable saucer docks, forming the school’s main building and giving the producers two locations for the price of one.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Operating at the Lower Manhattan docks, Melville’s task was to examine ship manifests against unloaded cargo.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025
The boy’s father, an exasperated man at the mercy of an Amazon-like delivery job that docks him for every second he so much as thinks about his son, is the only person who even wants to go through the effort of looking for him.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
Several boat docks, businesses, and other structures suffered damage from heavy snow.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The nearly 30,000-square-foot warehouse features six loading docks, large storage areas throughout the facility and twice the amount of cooler space than previously available for refrigerated products.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
The London docks, namely Rum Quay at the West India Docks, were the epicenter of the global rum trade from the 18th century through World War II; tens of thousands of casks, holding millions of gallons of rum from British colonies throughout the Caribbean, were aged and blended there.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Portofino’s central piazzetta and docks are a 15-minute walk or 5-minute shuttle ride away from Splendido; the shuttle drops off passengers at Splendido Mare, the sister property in the heart of the action.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Amazon plans to knock down the old Petey's restaurant and build a sprawling retail facility spanning more than 220,000 square feet on 35 acres with seven loading docks.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Alongside the retail building will be 837 parking spaces and seven loading docks, according to Amazon’s application.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Holly Hunter plays Nahla Ake, both captain of the USS Athena and chancellor of the academy, where the starship’s detachable saucer docks, forming the school’s main building and giving the producers two locations for the price of one.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Operating at the Lower Manhattan docks, Melville’s task was to examine ship manifests against unloaded cargo.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
According to Military Sealift Command spokesman Joseph Davila, the SBX-1 typically docks at Ford Island every 12 to 18 months for maintenance.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025
The boy’s father, an exasperated man at the mercy of an Amazon-like delivery job that docks him for every second he so much as thinks about his son, is the only person who even wants to go through the effort of looking for him.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for docks
Noun
-
The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Maybe wind your way around the neighborhood’s old wharfs and small brick houses; or lock up your bike and check out an exhibition at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, then grab lunch at the kitschy crab shack Brooklyn Crab.—
Francesca Carington,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Jan. 2024
Noun
-
The piers of an unfinished, elevated toll road, the Skyway, ran down the center of one of the streets, Gregorio Araneta Avenue, which also happened to be the home of Manila’s new boom industry, a mile-and-a-half-long strip of funeral homes, florists, and crematoria.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
New fishing piers, a boat ramp, a spur trail connection, shelters and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant features will complement the segment of the 26-mile trail, with construction starting as soon as late spring 2026.—
Kate Kealey,
Des Moines Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Seaports will have nearby seabed dredged and quays constructed to accommodate naval and transport vessels.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Docks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docks. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
