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
Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth’s orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
It is equipped with a six megawatt-hour (MWh) battery system and designed to carry out more than 90 percent of its towing and docking operations using battery-electric power alone.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
In the next high-stakes mission set to launch next year, Artemis III astronauts will remain in Earth’s orbit and practice docking their Orion capsule with a commercial lunar lander, a critical step before any return to the moon.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The space agency is already preparing for next year's Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
The space agency is already preparing for next year’s Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The complex process, requiring two Starships equipped with docking adapters to meet up in orbit to transfer hundreds of tons of super-cooled propellant, is necessary for Starship to reach distant destinations like Mars.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
If all goes to plan, the first Artemis moon landing will come in late 2028, on the Artemis 4 mission (after Artemis 3 tests docking technology and techniques in low Earth orbit, or LEO).
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
One of the most exciting events is the boat-docking contest.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth’s orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
It is equipped with a six megawatt-hour (MWh) battery system and designed to carry out more than 90 percent of its towing and docking operations using battery-electric power alone.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
In the next high-stakes mission set to launch next year, Artemis III astronauts will remain in Earth’s orbit and practice docking their Orion capsule with a commercial lunar lander, a critical step before any return to the moon.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The space agency is already preparing for next year's Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
The space agency is already preparing for next year’s Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The complex process, requiring two Starships equipped with docking adapters to meet up in orbit to transfer hundreds of tons of super-cooled propellant, is necessary for Starship to reach distant destinations like Mars.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
If all goes to plan, the first Artemis moon landing will come in late 2028, on the Artemis 4 mission (after Artemis 3 tests docking technology and techniques in low Earth orbit, or LEO).
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Docking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/docking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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