convoy

American  

[kon-voi, kuhn-voi, kon-voi] / ˈkɒn vɔɪ, kənˈvɔɪ, ˈkɒn vɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

• convoys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• convoyed,
  past participle,  past
• convoying
  present participle

1. to accompany or escort, usually for protection.

   A destroyer convoyed the merchant ship.

---

noun

• convoys
  plural

1. the act of convoying.

2. the protection provided by an escort.

3. a ship, fleet, group of vehicles, etc., accompanied by a protecting escort.

4. an armed force, warship, etc., that escorts, especially for protection.

5. any group of military vehicles traveling together under the same orders.

6. Citizens Band Radio Slang. two or more CB-equipped vehicles traveling together.

convoy British  

/ ˈkɒnvɔɪ /

noun

1. a group of merchant ships with an escort of warships

2. a group of land vehicles assembled to travel together

3. the act of travelling or escorting by convoy (esp in the phrase in convoy )

---

verb

1. (tr) to escort while in transit

Synonym Usage

See accompany.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unconvoyed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• convoys
  plural

Participles

• convoying
  present
• convoyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• convoy
  simple
• convoys
  simple
• have convoyed
  perfect
• has convoyed
  perfect
• am convoying
  progressive
• are convoying
  progressive
• is convoying
  progressive
• have been convoying
  perfect progressive
• has been convoying
  perfect progressive

Past

• convoyed
  simple
• had convoyed
  perfect
• was convoying
  progressive
• were convoying
  progressive
• had been convoying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will convoy
  simple
• will have convoyed
  perfect
• will be convoying
  progressive
• will have been convoying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of convoy

1325–75; Middle English convoyen < Middle French convoier, Anglo-French conveier to convey

Explanation

To travel in a convoy is to be escorted by a group of protective vehicles. If you are a teenage rock star with millions of fans, you probably need a security convoy just to go visit your grandmother. If the President visits your town, you may see a huge convoy of secret service vehicles, limousines, and police cars. Ships can also travel in convoys, with those carrying valuable items surrounded by warships. As a verb, convoy describes the act of traveling together, like when your family and other families convoy to a camp ground, driving in a group, making stops together, and waving to each other on the highway.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convoy convoys convoyed convoying

But a convoy operation is impractical with the blockade in full force, U.S. officials say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Under the Obama administration, an international coalition targeting the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi during the country’s 2011 civil war struck his fleeing convoy, leading to his capture and killing by rebel fighters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Hours after his address, AFP reporters in the city of El Alto saw squads of soldiers and armed police moving in a convoy as bulldozers moved in to clear roadblocks.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

Here, though, it suffered a second ambush before eventually being able to reunite with the convoy.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

At last the huge gate swung in and a convoy of gray transport buses drove through.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Often using artificial intelligence, they have targeted fuel trucks and military convoys on roads that link Russia to the Crimean Peninsula and to bases along the front line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

The strikes mean Russia has been forced to shorten convoys on supply routes as a "quick coping mechanism to reduce potential damage", Cristian Vlas at conflict monitoring group Acled told BBC Verify.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

In January, he appointed 47-year-old Brig Gen Famouké Camara to head a special operation to counter the fuel blockade, but attacks on fuel convoys have continued.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

It would require U.S.-protected convoys to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

One cold, overcast day in January 1989, three months before Laila turned eleven, she, her parents, and Hasina went to watch one of the last Soviet convoys exit the city.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were conveyed and convoyed.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

We convoyed over in shifts, along with other companies from their individual base camps around Mosul.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2018

We were 142 people that convoyed together, at minimum one mission a day/night.

From Newsweek ● Mar. 1, 2015

In both those conflicts, the Navy convoyed troops and supplies to far-off battlefields without opposition and the Air Force maintained almost unquestioned command of the skies.

From Time Magazine Archive

On November 17, 1926, when White was still settling into the new job, two new inmates were convoyed up the prison’s horseshoe driveway by U.S. marshals.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

“If something didn’t send an alarm signal that we needed to have serious assets or protection and convoying of our vessels in that area then I want to know why not.”

From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2019

By the time I reached San Clemente, there were four of us convoying at about 20 mph on the 5 to Oceanside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2018

Dr Labrosse said the main application would be for convoying, where a series of automated vehicles are led by a human driver or a smarter robot at the front.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2015

A hard-bitten nurse, busy convoying wounded soldiers, discovers even to her own surprise that she has a warm heart.

From Time Magazine Archive

H. G., good work in convoying subchasers, 178Stark, Commr.

From The Victory At Sea by Hendrick, Burton J.