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Synonyms

set sail

Idioms  

  1. Also, make sail. Begin a voyage on water, as in Dad rented a yacht, and we're about to set sail for the Caribbean, or We'll make sail for the nearest port. These expressions, dating from the early 1500s, originally meant “put the sails in position to catch the wind,” and hence cause the vessel to move.

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.

Wang said that to set sail, he would need to hear the Iranian Navy saying explicitly that normal traffic can resume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico's southeastern state of Quintana Roo, with nine crew of different nationalities on board, Mexico's navy said Thursday in a statement.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The carrier has now been at sea for almost nine months and will reportedly soon set sail for the island of Crete for repairs after a blaze broke out aboard the ship last week.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

The carrier was placed on an advanced state of readiness on Saturday, meaning it could set sail within five days if ministers gave the order for it to be deployed.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

He hastened back to the ship and bade his crew set sail.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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.