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

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 Jumping behind the steering wheel of one of the boats Nordstrom sails on feels like crawling into the cockpit of a race car rather than the cabin of an elegant yacht. — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 These maritime destinations are a fitting place for Evans’s collection of images handprinted onto heritage yacht sails, each with its own pedigree. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 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

More than 99 percent of international data flows through submarine telecommunications cables, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Important information flows back to the people responsible for moving the relationship forward.

— Karen Cochran, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

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
After customers complained about the oil that floats to the top of natural peanut butter, the company created a plastic container that could sit upside-down on grocery store shelves, Dana says.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of floats

Noun

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
While Hurtigruten operates coastal voyages calling at towns and communities along the route, HX offers expedition-style experiences with a focus on exploring the natural environment.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 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

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
The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 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