at sea
Idioms-
Aboard a ship, on the ocean, as in Within a few hours the ship would be out at sea . During World War II a famous American newscaster addressed his radio broadcasts to listeners everywhere, including “all the ships at sea.” [1300s]
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Also, all at sea . Perplexed, bewildered, as in She was all at sea in these new surroundings . This idiom transfers the condition of a vessel that has lost its bearings to the human mind. Charles Dickens used it in Little Dorrit (1855): “Mrs. Tickit ... was so plainly at sea on this part of the case.” [Second half of 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Take the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which returned to port in Thailand in early September after nine months at sea.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
GPS satellites transmit signals that guide “smart bombs” to their targets, connect communications networks, even tell troops on the ground and ships at sea exactly where they are.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In May 2011, word came that Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader behind the 9/11 attacks, had been killed and buried at sea after a U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Pictures last week of the USS Abraham Lincoln docking in Thailand with a rusting hull after a gruelling nine months at sea in the Gulf were pounced on by Iran.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
“They were invented in England. ’Ere at sea we’ve got the Mouse Scouts.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
