1
as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
the editorial was docked by about a hundred words to make it fit on the page
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2
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
the boxer's tail was docked soon after birth
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as in landing
to stop at or near a place along the shore
the cruise ship docked at the first port of call early the next morning
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Recent Examples of docking
New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
Cruises offer unique ways to see destinations – think scenic sailing through Norwegian fjords or passing the Statue of Liberty before docking in New York.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Both the live launch and docking coverage can be viewed on NASA+, Amazon Prime and the agency’s YouTube channel.
—Health Reporter, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Users can also remotely control the robot and stream video securely from any device, while self-docking charging ensures the robot can operate continuously without interruption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2025
Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
One person who has worked charter boats before — what’s more, one-day charters, which means dexterity with the lines from docking and undocking every day — is V, who is killing it in interior.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
Instead of docking at one of Fort Lauderdale’s four pumpout stations to empty the waste tanks themselves, boaters will be able to request service from the pumpout vessel using the city’s FixIt FTL app.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Practical Tips For Visby Cruise Visitors Most ships docking in Visby stay for six to ten hours, which is plenty of time to experience the highlights.
—David Nikel, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
That doesn't mean docking a carrier next to a data center and running a cable inside.
—Cite this Entry
“Docking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docking. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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