boatlift

American  

[boht-lift] / ˈboʊtˌlɪft /

noun

1. an operation in which large numbers of people or vast quantities of supplies are transported by ships or boats in an emergency.

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Etymology

Origin of boatlift

boat + lift, perhaps modeled on airlift

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boatlift

She describes Poly as both ever-present and irretrievably gone — an absence that structured the family, then fractured it when he finally joins them thanks to the Mariel boatlift of 1980.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

The U.S. is wary of the prospect of a humanitarian crisis on the island, which risks fueling a U.S.-bound exodus, as happened with the Mariel boatlift in 1980.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

In 1980, more than 100,000 Cubans arrived there as part of the Mariel boatlift.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

In all, it is the largest flight of Cuban exiles since the Mariel boatlift in 1980, when nearly 125,000 Cubans came to the U.S. over a six-month period.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2022

For instance, the authors point to the 1980 Mariel boatlift, which brought an influx of Cuban immigrants to the United States, especially to Miami, virtually overnight.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 10, 2022