sailing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of sailingnext
as in hovering

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sailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sail
1
as in cruising
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
2
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily sailed through the latest assignment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in floating
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a leaf sailed by, carried by the breeze

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sailing
Verb
The tanker was sailing in the southern shipping lane close to the Omani coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a post on Tuesday, Asia time. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Yet the language, always extraordinarily resilient, is again sailing toward new horizons in the 21st century. — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Founded in 2021 as part of MSC Group, Explora Journeys began sailing in 2023. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 The bureau warned Lang, who was last seen on board Ishi in Hawaii in January 2025, could have been sailing between Hawaii and Fiji or Mexico, headed toward Papua New Guinea, or possibly Indonesia. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The ship was sailing from Lerwick in Shetland to Dundee at the time. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The Benfold, a 30-year-old ship, was sailing with the George Washington carrier strike group on July 24 when an issue with the ship's generators caused a complete loss of power aboard the destroyer, according to Comer. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The announcement of additional ships sailing from some ports of call. — Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 18 Aug. 2026 Offensive notes Tommy DeVito settled in nicely after sailing some early throws. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailing
  1. hovering
  2. cruising
  3. flowing
  4. floating
  5. gliding
  6. boating
  7. drifting
  8. swimming
Adjective
  • The drones then find the best hovering altitude before each lining up to spray the fire, one after the other.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
  • He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • That’s how dramatically the economics of superyacht construction has changed since Whisper first began cruising in 2014.
    — Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Fort Worth Eastern Hills Highlanders opened the season in commanding fashion Friday night, cruising to a 62-0 victory over the Polytechnic Parrots at Clark Stadium.
    — Raul Avila, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruising
Verb
  • Previous research suggested Saturn's hexagon results from an eastward jet within its atmosphere flowing in a curving path near the ringed planet's north pole.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Progress has been hampered by persistent rain and challenging terrain, as crews have to work in a narrow mountain gorge, hemmed in between unstable cliffs and a fast-flowing river.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of flowing
Verb
  • Both boats are still floating, though their locations and ownership have changed over the years.
    — Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Around noon Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a call from a local golf course patron who noticed a possible body floating downstream in the Dominguez Channel, the department said in a statement.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of floating
Adjective
  • In addition, the action includes top-tier spider combat and awesome web-slinging and web-gliding traversal abilities.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • Located northeast of Seattle and carved by glacial ice, the 50-mile-long lake boasts everything from boating and fishing to birdwatching, scuba diving, camping, and more, according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
    — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
  • He is also prohibited from boating and consuming any alcohol as the case plays out in court, while he’s been ordered to submit to random alcohol screenings.
    — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of boating
Verb
  • For some, drifting along on a tube is the ultimate way to soak up the scenery.
    — Gabi De la Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Closer to home, Roman will monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in order to infer the presence of rogue planets drifting between the stars.
    — Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifting
Verb
  • Recently, a local fisherman captured a video of dolphins swimming in the Long Island Sound off the coast of Westbrook that was shared all over social media.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Whether burrowing through soil or swimming through water, they’re forced to maneuver through narrow gaps in tiny pores, rocks, roots, plants or other obstacles.
    — K. R. Prathyusha, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of swimming

Browse Nearby Words

sailers
sailing
sailing into
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Cite this Entry

“Sailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailing. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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