to sail

Examples

• All

• One month later, this girl sailed for Samoa.

• The ship rose up on the currents of wind and magic and sailed into the purple-streaked sky.

  Fiction book (1991)

• We seemed sailing along the edge of the world.

  Remember the Sultana (2015)

• If you do not know where you are sailing, every wind will take you there.

  Academic text (1990)

• Hayes is just sailing past people.

  F1 (2025)

• Eighty-thousand people on their feet, watching this ball sail through the air.

  Oblivion (2013)

• I was just having a ball, sailing around on gondolas.

  Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

• It's like you're sailing through uncharted waters without a compass.

  Apollonia Ponti

• You're sailing!

  Failure to Launch (2006)

• The children were excited to sail smoothly across the lake in their small boat.

Synonyms

S

to sweep

vsto sail

131 2.1

To move quickly and smoothly in a wide motion

is about steady effortless movement rather than broad or large gestures

S

to soar

vsto sail

89 1.8

To fly high and freely in the air like a bird or glider

is used for smooth low or surface movement rather than high altitude motion

G

to glide

vsto sail

78 2.9

To move smoothly and without effort through the air or over a surface

is expressed as moving that way by comparison rather than literally moving

C

to coast

vsto sail

14 2.5

To move easily without using power, often downhill

is focused on smooth effortless motion not specifically on lacking powered force

W

to wing

vsto sail

5 3.9

To move quickly through the air like a bird

is about smooth effortless motion rather than fast or forceful flying movement

F

to float like a butterfly

vsto sail

• Informal

4 6.8

To move with light, graceful steps like a butterfly

is about sliding smoothly as if through air or over surfaces rather than stepping

F

to fleet

vsto sail

4 7.4

To move quickly and lightly across a surface

is about calm effortless smooth motion rather than rapid darting or skimming movement

K

to kite

vsto sail

1 6.4

To move or glide through the air like a light toy on a string

is more about smooth effortless motion near surfaces rather than high floating flight

Antonyms

S

to struggle

∞ 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

S

to stumble

103 1.6

To trip or lose balance while walking and almost fall

Idioms

U

under sail

• Specialized

1 4.8

A boat with sails set that moves by wind

S

to sail close to the wind

• Informal

1 8.1

To do something risky that almost breaks rules or laws

S

to sail under false colors

• Informal

1 8.4

To pretend to be someone else to trick people

Phrasal Verbs

S

to set sail

30 2.9

To start a journey by boat or ship

S

to sail around

14 3.2

Travel by boat around a place like a coast or lake

S

to sail through

• Informal

11 3.7

To succeed very easily at a task or exam

M

to make sail

• Archaic

2 8.1

To start a journey by boat

C

to crowd sail

• Specialized

1 9.9

To set all sails to catch as much wind as possible to make the boat go faster

Compounds

F

full sail

1 5.6

To work as fast and as hard as possible

S

square sail

• Archaic

1 8.5

A four-sided piece of cloth hung on a bar across a ship's mast to catch the wind

F

fore-and-aft sail

• Specialized

1 8.6

A sail set along the length of a boat rather than across it

L

lateen sail

• Specialized

1 9.1

A triangular sail attached to a long slanted pole on a boat

T

topgallant sail

• Specialized

1 9.9

A sail set high above the topsail on a sailing ship's mast

B

balloon sail

• Specialized

7.4

A large light sail set to catch the wind and make a boat go faster

G

gaff-headed sail

• Specialized

9.9

A four-sided sail set along the boat with its top held by a sloping pole

S

sail foam

6.7

White bubbles that appear on the water behind a moving sailboat

P

press of sail

• Archaic

9.9

The most sail a ship can safely carry in the current weather

How Smooth

to soar

89 1.8

to sail

39 1.0

to walk

∞ 1.0

stumble

4 2.2

Surface Forms

Etymology