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
The two ships will swap itineraries, with Prima sailing Breakaway's Southern Caribbean cruises and Breakaway sailing Prima's Western Caribbean cruises. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 July 2025 The eastern side brings you to the mouth of the canal, and often, tall ships, giant yachts and other interesting boats are sailing by. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025
Noun
The series, which is to set sail in 2026 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ globally, was first revealed in March by Deadline. Peter White, Deadline, 14 July 2025 Ever since Google first set sail in 1998, we have been conditioned to write a few keywords or phrases, so our questioning ability is rusty. Bob Pearson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sail
Verb
  • For example, the Fox River Preservation Society in St. Charles argues that the dams themselves have formed habitats, so already support wildlife, and also support recreational activities such as boating and water sports.
    R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
  • Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • The mountain slopes tend to erode when saturated, especially after wildfires, resulting in potentially deadly debris flows.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
  • Guitarist Tom Bukovac composed a flowing instrumental riff to open the performance, creating a little extra sweetness that helps hide the passive-aggressive venom.
    Tom Roland, Billboard, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Their postseason odds that year were hovering around 20 percent at the time, and the team proceeded to lose the next seven games after the deadline en route to a 73-89 season.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 30 July 2025
  • Today, Baker’s market cap is hovering near $45 billion.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • At the time, the Dream was in the area of Belize City during a 6-day Western Caribbean voyage.
    Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025
  • The voyage in April to French Polynesia from Mexico took 23 days and covered over 2,600 nautical miles.
    Terry Ward, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • Afterward, a swarm of black S.U.V.s ferried guests to the Hotel de Russie for dinner.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
  • Any leftovers could be ferried home in a cardboard Cybertruck box, naturally.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2025
Verb
  • All the swimming, sailing, and cruising aboard my mighty Mako 22 center console powerboat with family and friends has brightened my spirit.
    Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • In the literature about cruising from the late twentieth century, what stands out is the physical choreography of it.
    Emily Witt, New Yorker, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • The sports arena floated as a solution to save the State Fair site never materialized, but new buildings did begin to replace the old on the fairgrounds, including a 1,000-seat amphitheater in 1974 and a new Coliseum in 1976.
    Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • Musk originally floated the retro-diner concept in 2018, with city construction approvals for the Hollywood location secured in 2023.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Wearing a protective mask after seriously injuring his face during a match in 2021, Victor Osimhen may as well have been gliding around with a cape for Napoli as the club won the Serie A title in 2022/23.
    Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • After four weeks of Venus in your sign boosting your magnetism and charm, Venus now glides into Cancer on July 30th, shifting your attention to security, self-worth, and material comfort.
    Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 27 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sail. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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