ship of state

noun phrase

: the affairs of a state symbolized as a ship on a course

Examples of ship of state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The new governmental broom hasn’t even managed to brush the dirt under the carpet, let alone turn around the sinking ship of state. —Clem Chambers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

In other words, Einhard was saying that until the ship of state was righted, those who plotted coups against the political order were almost always certain to try again. —Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024

This is a dangerous time for the American people to have somebody at the ship – leading the ship of state who seems to be compromised. —CBS News, 7 July 2024

Will there be a rearrangement of the deck chairs on the Kremlin ship of state? —Nathan Hodge, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024

Most early mentions are riffs on the metaphor of the ship of state, with entire nations beating against the breeze, or come as puns in stories about airplanes or shipping companies. —Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

As McCarthy’s untamed hooligans steer the ship of state toward the chop, Democrats would be wise to stick with this instinct. —Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023

The United States hasn’t just lost ground; the ship of state is pointed in the wrong direction, and the rest of the world has moved on. —Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2020

There is an important role to be played by the inside man who offers his counsel only in private and does his best to steer the ship of state in the right direction. —The Editors, National Review, 7 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ship of state

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate