a group of ships sailing together, engaged in the same activity, or under the same ownership, a group of vehicles or aircraft operating together or under the same ownership, a number of similar things or animals that move together or are under one's control

take the wind out of someone's sails, a sinking ship, jump ship

in (full) sail, the whole fleet, a clean fleet

Formal and Informal Expressions of fleet

In different contexts, you can replace 'fleet' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'armada, flotilla, convoy' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'group, bunch' is a commonplace synonym.

fleet: Explore its Definition & Usage

fleet Definition

1a group of ships sailing together, engaged in the same activity, or under the same ownership
2a group of vehicles or aircraft operating together or under the same ownership
3a number of similar things or animals that move together or are under one's control

Using fleet: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "fleet" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The fleet of fishing boats returned to the harbor.
Example
The airline has a fleet of over 200 planes.
Example
The company's delivery fleet consists of trucks and vans.
Example
A fleet of geese flew overhead.

fleet Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for fleet

Antonyms for fleet

Idioms Using fleet

take the wind out of someone's sails
to cause someone to lose confidence or momentum
Example
The news of the competitor's new product launch took the wind out of our sails.
a sinking ship
a failing enterprise or organization
Example
I don't want to invest in that company, it's a sinking ship.
jump ship
to leave a failing enterprise or organization
Example
When the company started laying off employees, many of them jumped ship and found new jobs.

Phrases with fleet

in (full) sail
with all sails unfurled and drawing wind
Example
The fleet was in full sail as it approached the shore.
the whole fleet
all the ships or vehicles in a fleet
Example
The whole fleet was deployed to search for the missing submarine.
a clean fleet
a group of vehicles that use alternative fuels or have low emissions
Example
The city is committed to having a clean fleet of buses and taxis.

Origins of fleet

from Old English 'fleot', meaning 'ship', related to 'float'

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Summary: fleet in Brief

The term 'fleet' [fliːt] refers to a group of ships, vehicles, or animals that move together or are under one's control. It can denote a group of ships sailing together, like 'The fleet of fishing boats returned to the harbor,' or a group of vehicles, like 'The company's delivery fleet consists of trucks and vans.' 'Fleet' extends into phrases like 'in (full) sail,' and idioms like 'take the wind out of someone's sails,' denoting loss of confidence or momentum.