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.

Wang said that to set sail, he would need to hear the Iranian Navy saying explicitly that normal traffic can resume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Defence sources told the BBC on Saturday that the crew of HMS Prince of Wales were told they must be ready to set sail in five days.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

There are fun house mirrors, a whimsical train, a mechanical Geppetto waving in a workshop and a cat ready to set sail atop the mast of a ship.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

Why rock a boat that might not even set sail?

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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