How to Use starboard in a Sentence

starboard

1 of 3 noun
  • The ship turned to starboard.
  • There were at least ten whales right off the boat’s starboard.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
  • These two cabins share a stair in the starboard hull.
    — Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • But the nets stored on deck blocked him from putting the cover on the starboard vent.
    — Anchorage Daily News, 13 Apr. 2018
  • Aft of the cabins, the engines sit to both port and starboard.
    — Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Rust covers the starboard railing near the ship's bow.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Reed said the fire was observed off the ship's starboard side and produced black smoke.
    — Fox News, 9 Sep. 2019
  • The starboard bow piling in the slip clearly snapped off at the ground level.
    — Ed Killer, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2017
  • The wind was out of the southwest, quartering on our starboard bow.
    — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 19 June 2021
  • The starboard pump had been busted for a while, but the port-side machine was working fine.
    — Earl Swift, Outside Online, 20 June 2018
  • Fish swim lazily past a 6-pound gun mounted in a platform at the starboard bow.
    — CBS News, 13 June 2017
  • The duo created set and furniture pieces made of foam, starboard and two-way glass.
    — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The concrete surrounds all four sides, and the redwood is only on the port and starboard sides.
    — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, 26 July 2017
  • At the Bahamas, the ship abruptly made a starboard turn and headed south.
    — Alison Sider, WSJ, 6 June 2017
  • The wooden planks of a long section of the dock were still tied to the ship and clung and hung down off its starboard in a jumble.
    — al, 25 Sep. 2020
  • On the starboard side lies a bar embellished with amethyst and agate; on the port side is a hookah room with fold-down sea terraces.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2025
  • There is also a generous foredeck lounge that can be accessed by both port and starboard.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2022
  • There is collision damage at the starboard bow and the stern cabin is missing.
    — Hannah Hernandez, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
  • Located on the lower deck, the beach club can be accessed via hydraulic doors port and starboard.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The boat rolled over, with the starboard hull and the tip of the wingsail in the water and the port hull suspended in the air.
    — Bernie Wilson, ajc, 22 Mar. 2022
  • In the near hour-long stream, huge black plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from the middle of the ship's starboard, or right, side.
    — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2021
  • The bow deck stretches overhead offering shade while the open sides to port and starboard allow for ocean breezes.
    — Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
  • On an iceberg off our starboard beam, a noisy cluster of penguins slipped and knocked about like wobbly bowling pins.
    — Craig Welch, National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2023
  • The force of the collision left multiple punctures in the ship’s starboard hull.
    — Sam Walker, WSJ, 16 Feb. 2019
  • On the starboard side lies a bar embellished with amethyst and agate, while the port side is home to a hookah room with fold-down down sea terraces.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2023
  • There is also a VIP stateroom port side and a twin starboard that both come with en suites.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Dec. 2022
  • The starboard drop-down side terrace is also a popular reading nook for the little ones.
    — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2022
  • Black smoke roiled up from the spaces below, and the big ship began listing heavily to starboard.
    — Jonathan W. Jordan, WSJ, 18 May 2018
  • Suddenly, off the starboard bow, perhaps a half-dozen whale-lengths away, two humpbacks breached, mother and calf, side by side.
    — Verlyn Klinkenborg, The New York Review of Books, 19 Aug. 2021
  • Fishing in a fjord near Juneau as a dark enormity rolled up from the deep, a humpback 30 feet off starboard.
    — Garrison Keillor, Twin Cities, 21 Apr. 2017

starboard

2 of 3 adjective
  • The team collected cores off the yacht’s bow, starboard side and port side.
    — Katherine Kornei, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2020
  • But there’s 12 on this side, on the starboard side, and 12 on the port side.
    — ABC News, 22 May 2022
  • The sailors moved to the starboard side, and Meyer sat on the hull, dumbstruck.
    — Sig Christenson, ExpressNews.com, 7 Dec. 2020
  • The breach is on the starboard side of the ship, according to Marzello.
    — Hannah Sarisohn, CNN, 14 Apr. 2022
  • Young then reached his right hand into the water and guided the boys arms onto the starboard gunnel.
    — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 June 2021
  • This already is a ripping yarn all over the starboard side of the blogosphere.
    — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 10 Oct. 2017
  • Roy looked starboard, saw the pall of smoke billowing from the F-61's twin-boom tail.
    — James Joseph, Popular Mechanics, 31 Dec. 2020
  • Six more are protruding from the starboard side and three containers are hanging from the port side of the ship.
    — Fox News, 26 May 2020
  • The vessel can store two tenders and features a large crane under the deck on the starboard side to help with launching.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2022
  • His port and his starboard arms and legs work in tandem, one side dipping slightly to allow the other a brush of air.
    — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, 2 June 2018
  • The two ships can be seen tethered together by mooring lines while a crane is deployed on the starboard side of the tanker.
    — Fox News, 3 Oct. 2019
  • Gabrielle pointed out our starboard window to a tiny island, windswept by Irma.
    — Charles Graeber, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2021
  • The force of the explosion had torn a great hole in the starboard side of the ship and the vessel was already commencing to list.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2019
  • The collision killed seven sailors and heavily damaged the starboard side of the ship.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 15 June 2020
  • According to the transcript, a crew member had recovered it from a trash bin near the rear of the ship, on the starboard side.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
  • The two ships collided on the Fitzgerald's starboard side directly next to the berthing area, where sailors sleep.
    — Daniella Diaz, CNN, 13 July 2017
  • The entire length of the starboard side, however, is almost fully exposed.
    — Ben Raines, AL.com, 23 Jan. 2018
  • Then social-distancing directives forced much of the serious stuff over to the starboard side.
    — Mike Feibus, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2020
  • The helicopter then rolled off the right or starboard side of the deck and plunged into the sea with six sailors on board — two pilots, two aircrew and two corpsmen.
    — Andrew Dyer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2022
  • The ship has two aircraft elevators on the starboard side, fore and aft of the island superstructure.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 15 June 2022
  • The winter sun is still low, and the shards of light come in sideways on the starboard side, showing every speck of dust and the crud coating the patio windows.
    — Chris Erskine, latimes.com, 2 Mar. 2018
  • On the morning of the attack, Meyer had come off watch and fallen into a deep sleep in his rack on the Utah’s starboard side.
    — Sig Christenson, ExpressNews.com, 7 Dec. 2020
  • On the starboard side of the Launch Out, a flock of gannets follows the boat in a cacophony of greedy cackles.
    — Matthew Bremner, Slate Magazine, 24 July 2017
  • The collision punched a hole in the starboard side of the Liman's hull, causing the ship to sink about three hours after the accident.
    — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 27 Apr. 2017
  • If there were a second drafting airplane, its ideal placement would be on the starboard side, about 6000 feet from the lead.
    — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 17 July 2013
  • Save us a spot in the observation lounge—or maybe at that on-board whiskey bar, on the starboard side of deck eight, where the views of craggy shores and cerulean glaciers are sure to be amazing.
    — Paul Brady, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2018
  • Under normal conditions, the crew of the ship showing its starboard side in a meeting situation is supposed to give the right-of-way.
    — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, 20 June 2017
  • Photos from Iranian news agencies showed a fire burning on the starboard side of the Front Altair.
    — The Economist, 13 June 2019
  • Within minutes, the ship began taking on water through the hole in the starboard side, before breaking in two and completely sinking.
    — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
  • That all starts with the 38’s asymmetric design on two of its decks, with just one walkway on the main deck’s port side and one walkway on the upper deck’s starboard side.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026

starboard

3 of 3 verb
  • On deck, sun pads sit on the bow, with the helm to port and a seating area and table to starboard.
    — Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Sponsons made of rigid foam plastic, and affixed to port and starboard sides of the craft, kept it afloat.
    — Eric Adler, The Seattle Times, 30 July 2018
  • The large suite’s king-sized island berth is framed to port by a settee and to starboard by a vanity.
    — Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2023
  • There is another sliding door and drop-down balcony to starboard.
    — Richard Alban, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2021
  • Planer boards helped separate the lines across a 50-foot swath from port to starboard.
    — Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2023
  • Thirty feet to starboard, a humpback is pounding out a message on the surface of the ocean.
    — Darrell Hartman, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Aug. 2021
  • The main living area features a comfortable lounge, a dining area to starboard, and a bar to port.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 June 2024
  • There, off to starboard and headed straight at you on collision course, hurtles a jet fighter.
    — James Joseph, Popular Mechanics, 31 Dec. 2020
  • Fully forward, a double guest cabin sits athwartships with an ensuite bath aft to starboard.
    — Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The boat began listing heavily to starboard, broke free of her moorings and then settled on the creek bottom.
    — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2021
  • The craft’s starboard bow had collapsed, spilling people overboard and slowly filling the vessel with water.
    — Hereward Holland, National Geographic, 12 Sep. 2016
  • Modular furniture at the rear constitutes a sun lounge, while there’s also a second wet bar to starboard.
    — Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2023
  • Part of the Titanic’s starboard side hull, the largest artifact recovered from the ship to date, is on display.
    — Kim Windyka, Daily Intelligencer, 16 June 2018
  • Forward is a small corridor with a separate head to port, and stand-alone shower to starboard, with a compact forward cabin in the bow.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2022
  • While Nickerson’s boat is listing to starboard, the design has kept it from falling onto its side the way a boat with a single keel would have.
    — al, 3 June 2020
  • Tennant told investigators the ship started leaning in a turn and started to over-rotate to starboard.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN, 22 Sep. 2020
  • The ship was spotted listing to starboard before ultimately sinking.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The alfresco design included a full bar and barbecue to starboard, as well as a Jacuzzi and multiple sun pads forward.
    — Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2022
  • MasterCraft’s SurfStar system is centered on two paddles, one to port and one to starboard at the rear of the boat.
    — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Green has two Millenium Marine bracket rod holders fitted to his boat deck—one slightly to port and one slightly to starboard just aft of his bow sonar.
    — : Bob McNally, Field & Stream, 7 May 2020
  • Forward, the salon has a lounge and three-piece table on the portside and an entertainment center with a 55-inch, pop-up television to starboard.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2022
  • By eliminating the exterior port passageway and shifting circulation to starboard, designers were able to expand the interior volume on the port side.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'starboard.' 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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