# sail the high seas

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sail-the-high-seas
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To engage in piracy.

## Examples

- The pirates sail the high seas looking for treasure.
- In the old stories, the captain and his crew sail the high seas to capture merchant ships.
- Driven by a desperate need for gold, the outcasts chose to sail the high seas, forever abandoning the safety of the law.

## Origin

From *sail* + *the* + *high seas*, a metaphorical extension of maritime navigation applied to the Internet. The phrase characterizes regions of the network where piracy is prevalent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.