set sail

Idioms

Also, make sail. Begin a voyage on water, as in Dad rented a yacht, and we're about to set sail for the Caribbean, or We'll make sail for the nearest port. These expressions, dating from the early 1500s, originally meant “put the sails in position to catch the wind,” and hence cause the vessel to move.

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.

The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico's southeastern state of Quintana Roo, with nine crew of different nationalities on board, Mexico's navy said Thursday in a statement.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The carrier has now been at sea for almost nine months and will reportedly soon set sail for the island of Crete for repairs after a blaze broke out aboard the ship last week.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

It was only the third cargo to set sail from Jask since 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

HMS Dragon - which has air defence capabilities - is being sent to the Mediterranean to bolster security around the base, but will not set sail until next week.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

And Papa always left a day or two for them to explore before they set sail.

From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023