oars

American

[awrz, ohrz] / ɔrz, oʊrz /

interjection

Nautical.

(used as a command to the crew of a scull or other similar boat to cease rowing and hold the oars horizontal with blades feathered.)

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.

See Examples For:

oars

Bury got into a kayak but there were no oars nearby to help him paddle, he told the station.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Egyptian and Japanese archeologists have been treating the boat's planks and oars using organic materials, including nano-cellulose and Klucel E, that Zidan said met international restoration standards.

From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025

Umpire Matthew Pinsent stopped the race in the second minute after the Oxford boat drifted into Cambridge's path and their oars clashed.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

Men and women plunged into the sea behind them, grabbing at the ships’ oars.

From Slate ● Dec. 15, 2024

Quickly, I drew back on the oars so I could escape without her.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023