fleet 1 of 2

noun

Definition of fleetnext
as in convoy
a group of vehicles traveling together or under one management a fleet of buses rolling down the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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fleet

2 of 2

adjective

as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed a jewel thief said to be light of heart and fleet of foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fleet contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fleet are expeditious, fast, hasty, quick, rapid, speedy, and swift. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When could expeditious be used to replace fleet?

In some situations, the words expeditious and fleet are roughly equivalent. However, expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How are the words fast and rapid related as synonyms of fleet?

Both fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves.

fast horses

When is it sensible to use hasty instead of fleet?

While in some cases nearly identical to fleet, hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

When would quick be a good substitute for fleet?

The meanings of quick and fleet largely overlap; however, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

When can rapid be used instead of fleet?

The synonyms rapid and fleet are sometimes interchangeable, but rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

In what contexts can speedy take the place of fleet?

Although the words speedy and fleet have much in common, speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

Where would swift be a reasonable alternative to fleet?

The words swift and fleet can be used in similar contexts, but swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fleet
Noun
Constellation already operates the largest fleet of nuclear power plants in the U.S. Many data center users, such as tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon, are searching for low-carbon energy options to power their data centers. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025 This does not impact the reliability of our A220 fleet. —Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Her star-wattage smile sets the tone for the friendly, fleet front-of-house staff. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Car rental companies divested themselves of many of their fleet cars in the early days of the pandemic, and were not able to quickly replenish them due to microchip shortages and supply chain problems among automakers. —William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 23 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for fleet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleet
  1. convoy
  2. rapid
  3. armada
  4. brisk
  5. caravan
  6. fast
  7. flotilla
  8. quick
Noun
  • The drone lifted off, chased down the convoy—and barreled toward a pickup truck whose bed was heavy with supplies.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Several videos appeared on social media showing convoys of armed men in vehicles in the run-up to the violence, with some speaking in foreign Arabic dialects.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of convoy
Adjective
  • Sure, Premier League clubs were generally profitable at that time — rapid growth in TV rights deals had not yet been caught up, and then trampled over, by the unremitting surge in player wages — but only Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool booked a bigger surplus over those six years than United.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
  • At a time when many direct-to-consumer brands pursued rapid expansion at all costs, Cuyana took a different approach.
    — Brin Snelling, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of rapid
Noun
  • Yet the size of the Kremlin’s ICBM armada is many times larger, say the worldwide nuclear weapons monitors at the Federation of American Scientists.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The armada includes a basket on wheels that can collect rebounds and pass balls to players, other robots that can stand in as defenders and a collection of Spot robots from Boston Dynamics.
    — Ina Fried, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025
Definition of armada
Adjective
  • Because of this, the BF tends to prefer a setting around ISO 400 and very brisk shutter speeds in bright conditions.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 14 Mar. 2025
  • At a Brisk Walking Pace (4 mph) At a brisk walking pace of 4 miles per hour, 10,000 steps (5 miles) would take about 75 minutes, or 1.25 hours.
    — Emily Brown, MPH, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of brisk
Noun
  • The young actress' powerful performance as the titular character, who struggles to better her circumstances while living in a caravan park with her alcoholic mother, won her the Best Actress prize at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
    — Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Authorities said the opposing team began to leave in school vans, but deputies stopped their caravan.
    — Mike Stunson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025
Definition of caravan
Adjective
  • But while Greenlaw was an instinctive and fast learner who started 14 games as a rookie, including 73 snaps in the Super Bowl, Winters has been slower in developing.
    — Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Advances in training algorithms help reduce development costs and accelerate training processes, enabling faster iteration and innovation.
    — Vaibhav Dani, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of fast
Noun
  • Boyers mentioned the presence of a crew transfer vessel, which helped facilitate the rescue operation, followed by a flotilla of ambulances to retrieve any survivors.
    — Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The invasion, in which the proverbial Jose Gasparilla sails into the convention center basin with Ye Mystic Krewe and a flotilla of boats, goes from 11:30am-1pm.
    — Kathryn Varn, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025
Definition of flotilla
Adjective
  • Think of this section as your highlight reel, showing off your knowledge and results in quick, digestible chunks.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • In his final words his team before tip-off, Skerry stressed filling the gaps on defense, turning defensive rebounds into quick transition offense, and running a first offensive play featuring sophomore guard and CAA Player of the Year Tyler Tejada.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of quick

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Cite this Entry

“Fleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleet. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fleet

Nglish: Translation of fleet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fleet

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