How to Use panga in a Sentence

panga

noun
  • The panga rotated in the heavy surf and overturned.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025
  • Blue lights, sirens and a spotlight were turned on in the government boat, but the panga failed to stop, Ruiz said.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2020
  • Then get out on the water, on the lookout for whale species such as blue, sperm, and fin; and cruise the coast in a traditional panga boat.
    — National Geographic, 15 Sep. 2019
  • Another person died last week when a panga capsized off the La Jolla shore.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2021
  • The panga, and any other migrants involved, were gone by the time authorities arrived.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2021
  • Alerted by the sound, the panga’s occupants hurriedly dropped a gillnet — and fled toward shore.
    — Sandra Dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, 12 May 2017
  • In late fall through early spring, Guaymas fishers went out on their pangas, or small boats, looking for Humboldts.
    — Daniela Hernandez, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2012
  • Agents fired warning shots, then shot out the engine, stopping the panga about 12 miles off the Oceanside coastline.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2020
  • Journeys by panga are often quite perilous, with smugglers tending to travel farther from shore, at night or when there is fog, to avoid being seen.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2022
  • The ship sails three routes, taking eight to 15 days, and guests get plenty of snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and panga rides along the way.
    — Karen Catchpole, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024
  • This is the second time this month that a panga-style boat has been found onshore in the Crystal Cove State Park area.
    — Sonali Kohli, latimes.com, 19 June 2018
  • The 20 men and three women were taken to San Diego lifeguard headquarters and the panga was towed there.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2021
  • Lifeguards were asked to check on the bright blue panga and found it just off the Children’s Pool, off Coast Boulevard.
    — Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 10 Mar. 2018
  • Lifeguards were asked to check on the bright blue panga and found it just off the Children's Pool, off Coast Boulevard.
    — Pauline Repard, latimes.com, 11 Mar. 2018
  • Eleven males and one female were detained after the panga came ashore and taken to a Border Patrol station.
    — Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2021
  • The boats used are often small pangas that typically are overloaded with people and poorly maintained.
    — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
  • Three weeks ago, four people died when a panga carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Imperial Beach.
    — Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
  • The panga was seized and the investigation is ongoing, officials said.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2021
  • The sportfishing boat remained with the panga until the Coast Guard helicopter arrived.
    — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2021
  • San Diego lifeguards intercepted the boat in the surf and towed it a little farther out to sea for the safety of those onboard the panga, an official said.
    — Pauline Repard, latimes.com, 11 Mar. 2018
  • San Diego lifeguards intercepted the boat in the surf and towed it a little further out to sea for the safety of those onboard the panga, an official said.
    — Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 10 Mar. 2018
  • On May 20, one person drowned when a panga stalled off the coast of La Jolla and its occupants were instructed to swim to shore.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2021
  • Just three weeks after the Point Loma shipwreck, a migrant on an overloaded panga drowned off La Jolla.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2021
  • Border Patrol officials said the most common vessels used by smugglers include pangas, pleasure watercraft and even jet skis.
    — Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2025
  • All told, the Coast Guard crew discovered three panga-style vessels and one pleasure craft, resulting in the seizure of $95 million worth of drugs.
    — Lyndsay Winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, 29 May 2018
  • About a dozen immigrants found off the La Jolla coast in a panga-style boat were taken into custody Saturday morning.
    — Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 10 Mar. 2018
  • The panga has been seized and the five people detained Wednesday morning were taken in for processing by federal authorities.
    — Dana Littlefield, sandiegouniontribune.com, 27 June 2018
  • According to documents filed in the case, Preciado is a fisherman who was recruited to captain the panga because of his boating skills.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Dec. 2023
  • On Monday, 23 people were rescued off a panga intercepted near Sunset Cliffs.
    — Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2021
  • But the panga instead ran into the vessel and, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection, also ran into a second boat that had joined the chase.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panga.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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