port of call

noun phrase

1
: an intermediate port where ships customarily stop for supplies, repairs, or transshipment of cargo
2
: a stop included on an itinerary

Examples of port of call in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Guests will be able to explore ports of call in Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Disney Cruise Line’s island destinations, including Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay. — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The immediate response should include recording how long ships have remained stationary, inspecting hulls, forecasting their first ports of call and expanding monitoring for nonnative species. — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The announcement of additional ships sailing from some ports of call. — Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 18 Aug. 2026 Netflix has narrowly become UK audiences’ first port of call. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for port of call

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of port of call was in 1838

Rhymes for port of call

See All Rhymes for port of call

Browse Nearby Words

portocaval
port of call
port of discharge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Port of call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/port%20of%20call. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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