sail close to the wind
idiom
British
: to do something that is dangerous or that may be illegal or dishonest
The company was sailing close to the wind, but it's not clear if they were actually breaking the law.
Examples of sail close to the wind in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At moments — or rather, for extended stretches — these vignettes sail close to the wind of sheer tedium, but there is method in the drabness.
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Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023
Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sail close to the wind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sail close to the wind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sail%20close%20to%20the%20wind. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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