Word.ws English Dictionary

sets sail

sets sail is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set sail.

Meaning of set sail

Verb

set sail (third-person singular simple present sets sail, present participle setting sail, simple past and past participle set sail)

  1. To depart on a voyage by boat or ship.
    • We set sail for the Caribbean.
    Synonyms:
    put out
    1. (literal) To spread and arrange the sails of a sailboat or sailing ship for the purpose of putting out.
      • The sailors of the regatta are going to wait out this weather before they set sail.
    2. (figuratively) To do the analogous counterpart on a vessel with any other means of propulsion, such as steaming.
      • A Navy task force is expected to set sail shortly.

Questions about sets sail

What is sets sail the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Sets sail is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set sail.

Words near sets sail in the dictionary

  1. sets out one's stall
  2. sets over
  3. sets pen to paper
  4. sets pulses racing
  5. sets right
  6. sets sail
  7. sets sails
  8. sets sights
  9. sets someone's teeth on edge
  10. sets store by
  11. sets straight

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: sets sail (page history and authors); set sail (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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