as in rower
a person who drives a boat forward by means of oars
"All oars ho!" the boatswain ordered
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oar
Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
Elon Musk is sticking his oar in, George Santos is enduring, and Matt Gaetz is concerned about his contouring
January 11, 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes
All through this feature’s brief year-end hiatus, the elite class of Attention Whores kept in fighting trim.
—airmail.news, 11 Jan. 2025
Caroline Van Hemert, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Mute swans do put on bursts of speed by oaring with their huge webbed feet.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for oar
Noun
Join a kayaking excursion on the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River or the Indian River Lagoon, and glide across dark waters that pop with sparkling trails of aqua and indigo when the glowing critters are disturbed by oars or passing fish.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025
Elon Musk is sticking his oar in, George Santos is enduring, and Matt Gaetz is concerned about his contouring
January 11, 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes
All through this feature’s brief year-end hiatus, the elite class of Attention Whores kept in fighting trim.
—airmail.news, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
For centuries, Vikings navigated these waters by sail and oar; today, ferries and charter boats offer comfortable, scenic access to the islands.
—Caroline Van Hemert, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Mute swans do put on bursts of speed by oaring with their huge webbed feet.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
See All Example Sentences for oar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oar
Verb
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The pair spotted a sow black bear paddling hard through open water with a pair of young cubs clinging to her back.—
Alice Jones Webb,
Outdoor Life,
3 July 2025
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Back in 1937, Winfield James, Harry Caldwell and Jimmy Pickard — three impulsive teens from Abilene, just out of high school and trying to avoid summer jobs — paddled a small canoe some 660 miles down the Colorado from Ballinger, Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Her father, Tomasz, represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and her sister, Agata, competed as a junior tennis player until 2013.—
Grace Jordan-Weinstein,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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Tennis at Queen’s Club, polo at Hurlingham Park, more racing at Epsom, cricket at Lord’s, rowing at the Henley Regatta… all early summer events within a 40-mile radius stretching west of the UK’s capital city, where the on-field action often feels secondary to the social buzz that surrounds them.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Obviously, with all the lake access, water sports—from boating, to kayaking, to canoeing—are a main draw.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
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Tube, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or canoe down the peaceful stretch of the Huron River—accessed from the 69-acre Gallup Park—or stroll U of M’s famed Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.—
Katherine LaGrave,
AFAR Media,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oar. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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