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was sailing

  • past progressive
    of sail.
    sail
    noun
    an area of canvas or other fabric extended to the wind in such a way as to transmit the force of the wind to an assemblage of spars and rigging mounted firmly on a hull, raft, iceboat, etc., so as to drive it along.

Example Sentences

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Marshall Islands-flagged vehicle carrier Liu Jiang Kou was sailing to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port from China before completely changing course on Monday in the Gulf of Aden.

From BBC Jul. 22, 2026

The Hondius, now carrying close to 150 passengers, started out in Argentina on April 1 and was sailing north on a 33-day journey.

From Salon May 9, 2026

The MV Touska belongs to a subsidiary of a sanctioned Iranian state-owned group and was sailing to Iran after visiting China.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 20, 2026

The tanker flew the flag of Guinea, but an on-board inspection confirmed suspicions that it was sailing under a false flag, the office said.

From Barron's Mar. 1, 2026

He was sailing without lights, and so was more aware of the night than he had ever been.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry