heave to

verb

heaved to; heaving to; heaves to

intransitive verb

: to halt the headway of a ship (as by positioning a sailboat with the jib aback and the rudder turned sharply to windward)

Examples of heave to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Grant Delpit intercepted Rodgers’ desperate final heave to seal the win. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Burrow passed for 292 yards and three scores, including an incredible 28-yard heave to Tee Higgins late in the first half. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood tried a last-second heave to reach the end zone and win the game on a Hail Mary throw. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Young started his air attack with an impressive heave to wideout Xaiver Legette in the end zone during 11-on-11 work. — Charlotte Observer, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heave to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue