oared; oaring; oars
: to progress by or as if by using oars
: to propel with or as if with oars : row
Examples of oar in a Sentence
Noun
“All oars ho!” the boatswain ordered
Verb
since the wind had completely died, they had to oar the sailboat back to shore
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Someone was even sent to prison after the 2012 race — no, not for getting over-eager with an oar, but for protesting against elitism and government cuts.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
That's not a time to drop the oars and just go with the flow.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Someone was even sent to prison after the 2012 race — no, not for getting over-eager with an oar, but for protesting against elitism and government cuts.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Oar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oar. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oar
2 of 2 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share