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Glite Dictionary
to sail through

to sail through

5 3.7
To succeed very easily at a task or exam
  • phrasal verb
  • /seɪl θru/
  • Informal
translation icon : sacar adelante
  • Typically, Sven just sailed through it.

Examples

  • Practice nurse Toni Millard, diagnosed at 39 with C2 bowel cancer at the end of last year, found she sailed through the first three to four chemotherapy sessions.

    Academic text (2010)

  • After months of practice, he was able to sail through the driving test on his first attempt.

  • 'Cause, usually she sails through school.

    Byzantium (2013)

  • Yeah, you sailed through it, because you studied hard enough.

    To Rome with Love (2012)

  • You didn't try to sail through it?

    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

  • The bill sailed through committee hearings with barely an objection.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Dramatic reforms, including changes to the country's tax code, judiciary, and federal structure, have sailed through the parliament with hardly an amendment.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The bill sailed through the legislative session, passing the Senate 28-1 and the House 68-23.

    Blog text (34)

  • With proper preparation and study, you can sail through the exam without any stress.

  • She always seems to sail through her tasks with ease and confidence.

Synonyms

to pass
vsto sail through
388 1.0

To succeed in a test or exam

specifies very easy success rather than merely meeting a standard
to nail
vsto sail through
  • Informal
113 4.0

To do something very well, for example in a test or performance

focuses on impressive performance rather than easy effortless success
to ace
vsto sail through
44 3.9

To do very well at something, especially a test

focuses on easy success rather than high performance
to pass with flying colors
vsto sail through
10 3.2

To do very well in a test or task, often easily

shows easy success but without stressing outstanding quality
to breeze through
vsto sail through
  • Informal
5 3.6

To succeed at something quickly and easily

emphasizes ease but not necessarily speed of completion
to sweep through
vsto sail through
2 4.1

To finish something quickly and with little effort

focuses on succeeding very easily rather than finishing quickly

Antonyms

to fail
898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

to struggle
851 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

How Easy

to ace
44 3.9
to sail through
  • Informal
5 3.7
pass
11 1.4

Surface Forms

sail through infinitive
sailed through past
sailed through past participle
sailing through present participle
sails through third person singular

Morphology

sail + through

The meaning 'to succeed very easily' is directly inferable from combining 'sail' (to move effortlessly) with 'through' (from start to finish): the image of gliding through a task maps clearly onto completing it with little difficulty. This motion-to-achievement metaphor is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely understand the MWE without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb sail through comes from the picture of a ship that can sail right through calm water with no problems, gliding easily with the wind. That's why it now means 'to succeed very easily'.