sail by

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle by

Meanings

1

Move past gracefully or apparently without effort

Passing

Why “by”? Something moves near a point and continues past it.

“The yacht sailed by the harbour.”
The yacht moved past the harbour with ease.
“A white boat sailed by the pier.”
A white boat moved past the pier with ease.

Don't confuse with

sail bysail through

Sail by means move past gracefully or apparently without effort. Sail through means pass with apparent ease.

Test yourself

“The yacht sailed by the harbour.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

sail through

A contrast learners often mix up

Pass with apparent ease

drive by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past a place in a vehicle

fly by

Same by pattern: passing

Travel past quickly through the air; Of time, pass extremely quickly

pass by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past a point without stopping; Of an opportunity or time, go past without being used

run by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past on foot at speed

rush by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past at speed in a hurry

slip by

Same by pattern: passing

Pass quietly without being noticed; Of time, pass quietly without being noticed

speed by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past very quickly

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