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 Eleven sailors were missing at sea on Tuesday from a ship sunk by a drone attack off Bulgaria, possibly the second deadly sinking of a cargo vessel in the area in a week, prompting Bulgaria to summon Russia’s ambassador. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 Five sailors were rescued, while a search for the other 11 crew members continues, Varna district governor Mario Smrkov said. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 Rousseau lamented that accounts of these societies came mainly from merchants, sailors, soldiers and missionaries. — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, an oil portrait of a sailor conjures his time in the Navy. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sailor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sailor
  1. mariner
  2. navigator
  3. seaman
Noun
  • Seas will also begin to lower as the nor'easter pulls away, but inexperienced mariners and small vessels are encouraged to stay docked on Monday as rough seas and gusty winds are still likely.
    — Sarah Wroblewski, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • For example, Kingsborough Community College, located in South Brooklyn, where the Sheepshead and Jamaica Bays meet the Atlantic Ocean, operates a maritime technology program that is training the next generation of local mariners.
    — Julie Raskin, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished during one of the final stretches of their trip after departing Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Celestial navigators who do this will need to account for the growing difference between UTC and UT1 when determining their precise position on Earth.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 8 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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