setting sail

VERB

get started on trip

Synonyms

WEAK

dive in go ahead set out start out

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.

More than 900 Jewish refugees attempted to flee persecution in Nazi Germany by setting sail aboard the ship, which was turned away from Cuba and the United States.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organisers.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Ships he controlled via a network of shell companies were setting sail with millions of barrels of unsold oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Which is how I found myself setting sail one fine November morning alone, save for 600-odd silver-haired strangers.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025

On setting sail, I walked aft, and gave to Colonel Lloyd’s plantation what I hoped would be the last look.

From "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass