import re
my_other_string = 'the_boat_has_sunk'
my_list = ['car', 'boat', 'truck']
my_list = re.compile(r'(?:\b|_)(?:%s)(?=\b|_)' % '|'.join(my_list))
if re.search(my_list, my_other_string):
print('yay')
aW1wb3J0IHJlCm15X290aGVyX3N0cmluZyA9ICd0aGVfYm9hdF9oYXNfc3VuaycKbXlfbGlzdCA9IFsnY2FyJywgJ2JvYXQnLCAndHJ1Y2snXQpteV9saXN0ID0gcmUuY29tcGlsZShyJyg/OlxifF8pKD86JXMpKD89XGJ8XyknICUgJ3wnLmpvaW4obXlfbGlzdCkpCmlmIHJlLnNlYXJjaChteV9saXN0LCBteV9vdGhlcl9zdHJpbmcpOgogICAgcHJpbnQoJ3lheScp