sailor

noun

ˈsā-lər How to pronounce sailor (audio)
Definition of sailornext
as in mariner
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel the sailors were glad to be arriving in port after their long voyage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sailor When rescuers finally arrived, only 316 of those sailors were pulled from the water alive. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Nearly two dozen sailors from many countries were either killed or are missing. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 Remember the old Popeye and spinach routine, where the squinty-eyed sailor scarfs down a can of leafy greens and his muscles practically burst out of his shirt? — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026 Researchers said the presence of this amphora may mean that sailors took goats with them on their voyages, using their milk to make dairy products. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sailor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailor
  1. mariner
  2. navigator
  3. seaman
Noun
  • The Mexican navy urged mariners and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution, citing high waves, heavy rain and the risk of rising rivers, flooding and landslides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • After between 30 to 45 seconds with Packard in his mouth, the whale had risen to the surface and spat him out, sending him flying through the air in a massive spray that was witnessed by his crewmate and another nearby mariner.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Experts have long suspected Nikumaroro as the landing site of Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, who disappeared in July 1937.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished 22,000 miles into their expedition.
    — Lana Zak, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of navigator
Noun
  • The charge of seaman's manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
    — Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Hernandez was charged with two counts of misconduct of a ship officer resulting in death under the seaman’s manslaughter statute and released on a $50,000 bond at his presentment in Manhattan federal court two days after the incident.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of seaman

Browse Nearby Words

sail into
sailor
sailors
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Cite this Entry

“Sailor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailor. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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