a piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship through water, a voyage or excursion, especially in a sailboat

set sail, take the wind out of someone's sails, make headway

Formal and Informal Expressions of sails

In different contexts, you can replace 'sails' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'canvas, rigging' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'sheets, cloth' is a commonplace synonym.

sails: Explore its Definition & Usage

sails Definition

1a piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship through water
2a voyage or excursion, especially in a sailboat

Using sails: Examples

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

Example
The sails were hoisted and the ship began to move.
Example
We went for a sail on the lake.
Example
The yacht has five sails.

sails Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for sails

Phrases with sails

set sail
to begin a voyage by raising the sails
Example
The ship set sail at dawn.
take the wind out of someone's sails
to undermine or weaken someone's position or argument
Example
The new evidence took the wind out of the prosecutor's sails.
make headway
to make progress, especially against difficulties
Example
We made good headway under full sail.

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Summary: sails in Brief

The term 'sails' [seɪlz] refers to a piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship through water. It can also refer to a voyage or excursion, especially in a sailboat. Phrases like 'set sail' and 'take the wind out of someone's sails' are commonly used. 'Sails' is a formal term for canvas or rigging.