sampan

noun

Definition of sampannext
as in canoe

Related Words

Relevance

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 sampan For something quieter, Greenfield-Turk suggests hiring a wooden sampan at dusk and drifting along the Perfume River. — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026 This village on stilts dances to the sea's rhythm, where sampans sail serene waters, and locals craft shrimp paste under the sun, just like their Tanka ancestors. — Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026 Malay, Chinese and Indian laborers did laundry, steered sampan boats and cleared land for the White military members. — Lilit Marcus, CNN, 16 Sep. 2022 Housed in a pastel-yellow colonial building opposite a 16th-century church, its entrance is flanked by tall vases, depicting sampan gliding between karst hills. — The Economist, 19 May 2018 The petite young woman who rowed our sampan had powerful, broad shoulders and tough, worn hands gripping the oars. — Diana Lambdin Meyer, kansascity.com, 9 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sampan
  1. canoe
  2. rowboat
  3. skiff
  4. pontoon
  5. raft
  6. pirogue
  7. outrigger
  8. scow
Noun
  • Officials are asking anyone who has seen Sean Michael Cunningham or his canoe in the last few days to contact them immediately.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • The trail off that parking lot is wooded and crosses miles of wetlands and river swamp with multiple bridges and places where people can fish, canoe, and kayak.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 30 July 2026
Definition of canoe
Noun
  • This summer a group of Indigenous Taiwanese modern-day voyagers decided to recreate the journey in a large rowboat from one of Taiwan’s islands all the way to the Philippines in an effort to reconnect with their ancient seafaring heritage.
    — Greg Dixon, NPR, 24 July 2026
  • Launching from Monterey, California, in a 21-foot rowboat, Pfender documented the mental and physical challenges of her trip on social media.
    — Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of rowboat
Noun
  • Noe followed the sound of voices, moved the skiff toward a flickering in the church tower.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Head to Bahia Marina on 22nd Street to rent a variety of water craft including kayaks, skiffs and pontoon boats.
    — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of skiff
Noun
  • Troopers say a 10-year-old girl fell off a tube being pulled by a pontoon driven by 45-year-old Jonathan McGrew of Manton.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Two other people who had been aboard the pontoon left before law enforcement arrived.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pontoon
Noun
  • The bulk of weight-loss ads come not from the makers of GLP-1s but the raft of online pharmacies distributing them.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The Guinea-Bissau forward will be the latest in a raft of signings who are being brought in to bolster the academy set-up.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of raft
Noun
  • Wooden pirogue boats idle in the bay, while young people do odd jobs – rolling car tires across town or selling bags of tap water – to help their parents make ends meet.
    — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Offshore, kite surfers dance across the lagoon while fishermen paddle slender pirogues above shallow coral gardens alive with neon wrasse and ghostly butterflyfish.
    — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of pirogue
Noun
  • The money will finance dozens of routine but essential items, such as a new roof, a 24-seat school bus and outrigger canoes that will be used by military veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress.
    — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • Immerse yourself in Hawaiian traditions and culture through the Hale Kukuna Cultural Center or explore the ocean in a Hawaiian outrigger canoe.
    — Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026
Definition of outrigger
Noun
  • That material will then be suctioned up along with seawater and loaded onto large barges, known as scows, which carry a slurry of sediment, rocks and debris.
    — Teresa Tomassoni, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
  • The family friends promised to help Wade find work at a seafood processing plant or on a fish-buying scow.
    — Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of scow

Browse Nearby Words

sameness
sampan
sampans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sampan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sampan. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sampan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sampan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All