as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the tour boat pulled up to the quai on the left bank of the Seine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quai
Rick Warner, the director of film studies at the University of North Carolina, deliberately selects films with slow pacing and subtle details, such as Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, a three-hour movie that mostly follows a woman doing chores in her apartment.
—
Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
On a recent breezy day, Jérôme Callais wrapped a secondhand biography of Robespierre tightly in cellophane, covering the burgundy leather hardcover with an expert flick of the wrist and positioning it near a weighty tome on Talleyrand inside his dark green bookstand on a quai above the Seine.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2020
Farther up the quai was a former monastery courtyard, overgrown but graceful.
—Bill Buford, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2020
Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
On a recent breezy day, Jérôme Callais wrapped a secondhand biography of Robespierre tightly in cellophane, covering the burgundy leather hardcover with an expert flick of the wrist and positioning it near a weighty tome on Talleyrand inside his dark green bookstand on a quai above the Seine.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2020
Farther up the quai was a former monastery courtyard, overgrown but graceful.
—Bill Buford, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quai
Noun
-
There are no residential docks allowed on the perimeter of Canyon Lake, but there are public boat slips for those who BYOB (bring your own boat).—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Carnival Horizon docks in Curaçao on June 25, the same day the island nation plays Ivory Coast in its final group stage match.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The 200-acre terminal will feature two new berths and 3,000 linear feet of new wharf designed for larger next-generation container ships in natural deep water.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
16 June 2026
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Staff picks up guests from the nearby ferry wharf in sporty Jeeps for ease of arrival—a nice homey touch (one of many here) that segues perfectly into a welcome drink in the sun that will remind you to slow down into island time.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Building a pier and beam floor.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
-
Strong longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers into rip currents, piers, jetties and other hazardous areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Ten 35-pound wreckfish — enormous silver deep-water dwellers that live down to 650 feet — are filleted and bagged on a large stainless-steel table on the quay.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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Waiting at the quay were water taxis for hotel guests.—
Vic O'Sullivan,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quai.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quai. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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