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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boatlift

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

Another formative experience was watching protesters target colonial buildings during the turmoil of the Mariel boatlift, a massive migration of Cubans to Florida in 1980.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

Garcia said that can last for the rest of their lives; some Cubans who came in the 1980 Mariel boatlift still are designated “expedited for removal.”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 4, 2023

Even for a nation known for mass exodus, the current wave is remarkable — larger than the 1980 Mariel boatlift and the 1994 Cuban rafter crisis combined, until recently the island’s two biggest migration events.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 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

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