sails 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of sail
1
as in boats
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 floats
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sails

2 of 2

noun

plural of sail
as in voyages
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 sails
Verb
Star of the Seas still sails out of Port Canaveral, housing guests on what is tied for the title of world’s largest cruise ship. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026 As the ship sails the Antarctic Peninsula, passengers go on excursions, such as taking a Zodiac or kayaking, to view wildlife and immerse themselves in nature. Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Odysseus sails closer to Scylla on the advice of Circe, who had identified Charybdis as more dangerous. Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026 Before the quartet of late November and December holiday sailings begins, the ship sails an almost identical route along the Seine between March and November. Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026 The moment Gabriel sails the penalty kick over the net – and PSG turns nerves into jubilation. Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 The crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru sails through Ise Bay near Chita City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, May 25, 2026, after becoming the first crude tanker bound for Japan to transit the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 May 2026 The neutrino is a nearly weightless particle that sails through matter like a phantasm. Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026 The line sails year-round from Southern ports including Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Galveston, and New Orleans. Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
Less than an hour after Starmer's announcement, however, Streeting backed Burnham putting more wind in the King of the North's sails. Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 22 June 2026 In retaliation, Poseidon whips up the ocean, shredding sails, cracking oars, sweeping Odysseus and his men overboard. David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 Caribbean Princess sails seven- and 14-night itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean with ports including Nassau, Princess Cays, Dominican Republic, Amber Cove, Grand Turk and San Juan. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026 Seek sails that are machine washable, and be sure to clean them at least once a season. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 Operational control is first-rate, thanks to Rondal’s high-tech carbon rig and integrated sailing system, along with Doyle’s sails and Royal Huisman’s internal build expertise. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026 Politics and traumatic events can be like gusts of wind that push the sails of a family into having to process what occurred from different racial perspectives. Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 11 June 2026 Giant shade sails soften the harsh summer sun, giving everything a soft glow. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026 Tweens and teens can also try knot-tying, help raise the sails, play pirate games, and visit the bridge. Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sails
Verb
  • Shrimp boats bob in the harbor, American flags flutter from pastel porches and old oak trees draped in Spanish moss offer cool shade.
    Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Kennebunkport, Maine Lobster boats bob in the waves and beachcombers search for shells.
    Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Composer ties together all aspects of the factory (machines, conveyors, sensors, and logistics flows) into a unified simulation.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • To balance the market next year, flows through the strait need only recover to 65% of their pre-conflict level.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • This time the fly lands just above the spot and floats its way down.
    Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026
  • When the tank is full, the robot automatically floats to the surface and parks itself in a corner of the pool for emptying, which is a breeze thanks to a pop-out basket.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • The North African country is also a major transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East escaping war and economic pressures by taking risky sea voyages to Europe.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026
  • Morand said these voyages represented only one part of Connecticut’s maritime connection to slavery.
    Calista Oetama, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • The blockage of the strait, which normally ferries 20% of the world's oil, sent global energy prices soaring.
    Kevin Breuninger,Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Iran has effectively halted trade traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime trade route that ferries roughly 20% of the world’s petroleum.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Taking off from a base beside Harry Reid International Airport, the chopper cruises up the east side of The Strip — high above The Sphere — before looping around downtown Las Vegas and down Interstate-15 along the west side of The Strip.
    Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • France cruises past Sweden, 3-0 France is through to the Round of 16 after blowing away Sweden, 3-0, with star man Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to ease passage to the next phase.
    Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • As a result, Skywalkers hovers between a sense of constant performance and disarming immediacy — the latter generally during the many vertigo-inducing drone shots of Ivan and Angela’s hair-raising accomplishments.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • Their water content hovers around 16%, and butter is made up of 1-4% vitamins, minerals, lactose and protein.
    Rosemary Trout, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • For fireworks, this means that visibility Friday along the coast could be impaired as the marine layer drifts in and out, but visibility will generally be much better Saturday, especially just a few miles inland.
    Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Confrontation, feedback, accountability, the naming of a difficult dynamic, all of it drifts upward to the person in charge.
    Heidi Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sails. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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