SAILS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

sails 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sail

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in flows

to move or proceed smoothly and readily sailed through the latest assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Seabourn sails the 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and twin Seabourn Pursuit, two lavish all-suite polar-class expedition ships cruising remote itineraries, each with two submarines. — Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 Some of my favorites are coming back too, like El Pulpo Magnifico, Duane Flatmo's fire-breathing octopus, and the Monaco, a 40-foot ship with three masts that sails across dust instead of water. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Better yet, take a coastal cruise with Cape Ann Harbor Tours, which sails past six regional lighthouses. — Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026 Nelson’s mind quickly sails from cold floor-pragmatics to high theory. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the boat that sails non-stop fastest around the world. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 24 July 2026 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

Noun

Conveying the idea would likely involve several signs — which somewhat takes the wind out of rawdog’s superlative sails. — New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026 In polls, Chicagoans have repeatedly said higher taxes should come only after the city trims its own sails. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Five retractable, 35-meter rigid sails double as solar panels; when wind drives the ship, propellers generate electricity onboard. — Ashlea Halpern, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 One of the ships is registered to Guinea-Bissau but the other one, the Chelsea-3, is Ukrainian-owned, registered in Odesa and sails under the flag of Malta, a European Union member. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Spend your days over seafood lunches and sunset sails, or venture inland to hike to tropical waterfalls. — Cherri Briggs, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2026 Most of the reduction comes via a new Lightstrike Pro Evo foam compound that’s 50 percent lighter than its predecessors, and designers took inspiration from kitesurfing sails to create a feathery woven upper. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2026 Five red and yellow cloth sails, strung up between streetlights in Exposition Park, bridging the road between the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Coliseum. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 The vessel sails under a Comoro Islands flag and was bought by Arkos Capital, based in Riga, Lithuania. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sails

Verb

Down at the lake, boats just off the shore slowed to listen while swimmers took in the music from floaties.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
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

Definition of boats

Verb

The program could also be targeted rather than universal — triggered by sector-specific unemployment spikes, income level, or geography, so the money flows first to the workers AI disrupts most.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The kitchen flows to the laundry room and attached two-car garage.

— James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

Expect a night of dazzling sights, as costumed performers, puppets and floats make their way down Columbus Drive.

— Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Each night, Musgraves floats over the audience, cozily nestled in a giant set of disco ball Truck Nutz.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of floats

Noun

Meanwhile, the ship is also equipped with a large-diameter, high-efficiency propeller to reduce fuel consumption during voyages.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
The vessels were effectively self-insured against attacks, according to the official's account, with higher crude prices making the voyages financially worthwhile despite the risks.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of voyages

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

Definition of ferries

Verb

As Indy hovers above us, for instance, his legs and hips subtly shift.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
But when Alexander saw the green machine, the tree excavator, feet away from the 100-year-old oak tree that hovers over the corner of Salem Drive and Idlewood Circle, that was not fine.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of hovers

Verb

His attention drifts towards intimate details – the bare armpit, the small hollow at the base of Rafael’s neck – and the music follows him into this increasingly private, almost obsessive fascination.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Filmed largely in natural daylight, the film drifts between still, unhurried, panning shots to evoke not only the spiritual energy that keeps the temples humming but also a world in slow, gradual decay.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026