: a rope or tackle for hoisting and lowering something (such as sails)
Examples of halyard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The flag should never be used for any kind of advertising purposes, and advertising signs should not be fastened to a flag's staff or halyard.
—
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 July 2024
Advertising signs should not be attached to the flag's staff or halyard (the rope used to hoist the flag).
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
The setup can be inflated or deflated as needed and reportedly eliminates the need for any complex deck equipment (winches, halyards, etc.).
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2023
City lights twinkled; only the clinking of the flag’s metal halyard against the flagpole broke the silence.
—Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2021
Floating in Port Hercules the other week — ensigns fluttering, halyards singing — was one of the most spectacular displays of seagoing craft ever seen: 125 superyachts with a combined value of $4.4 billion.
—Benjamin Stupplesbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2019
And then to fall asleep to the summer sounds of the sea: a lullaby of waves lapping against rocky shores punctuated by the rhythmic tinkling of sailboat halyards.
—Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, 27 June 2019
When the rotund American commander, Gen. William Rufus Shafter, told him to take his hands off the halyard, the correspondent slugged him, or tried to (accounts vary).
—John Maxwell Hamilton, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
Even before dawn the marina is loud with gulls and banging halyards and happy obscenity.
—Ben Lowy, Smithsonian, 23 May 2018
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John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 July 2024
Advertising signs should not be attached to the flag's staff or halyard (the rope used to hoist the flag).
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
The setup can be inflated or deflated as needed and reportedly eliminates the need for any complex deck equipment (winches, halyards, etc.).
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2023
City lights twinkled; only the clinking of the flag’s metal halyard against the flagpole broke the silence.
—Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2021
Floating in Port Hercules the other week — ensigns fluttering, halyards singing — was one of the most spectacular displays of seagoing craft ever seen: 125 superyachts with a combined value of $4.4 billion.
—Benjamin Stupplesbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2019
And then to fall asleep to the summer sounds of the sea: a lullaby of waves lapping against rocky shores punctuated by the rhythmic tinkling of sailboat halyards.
—Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, 27 June 2019
When the rotund American commander, Gen. William Rufus Shafter, told him to take his hands off the halyard, the correspondent slugged him, or tried to (accounts vary).
—John Maxwell Hamilton, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
Even before dawn the marina is loud with gulls and banging halyards and happy obscenity.
—Ben Lowy, Smithsonian, 23 May 2018
Cite this Entry
“Halyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halyard. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
halyard
noun
hal·yard
ˈhal-yərd 
: a rope or tackle for raising and lowering (as a sail)
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