pilot fish
noun
: a pelagic carangid fish (Naucrates ductor) that has dark vertical stripes and often swims in company with a shark
Examples of pilot fish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Super Bowl was the leviathan in whose eddying wake the pilot fish feed.
—
Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Most of the attackers are just pilot fish, trying to outdo one another in being vicious in their sycophancy.
—Liz Smith, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Not unlike sharks and the pilot fish that clean their teeth, the Kardashian family and the design duo Dolce & Gabbana have established a symbiotic relationship wherein everyone is benefiting.
—Rory Satran, WSJ, 26 Sep. 2022
As an attorney, Caplan thought of himself as a pilot fish.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes, 4 June 2022
In the middle, a truck driven by Jeff Deese serves as a pilot fish for the tanker.
—al, 28 Feb. 2022
Youngblood plays Baby's best pal William, a quick-witted pilot fish who can be quite the jokester.
—Katie Campione, PEOPLE.com, 25 Mar. 2021
That will be decided by the biggest of the big fish; the rest of us will follow, attaching like pilot fish.
—Richard E. Farley, Town & Country, 26 July 2015
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Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Most of the attackers are just pilot fish, trying to outdo one another in being vicious in their sycophancy.
—Liz Smith, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Not unlike sharks and the pilot fish that clean their teeth, the Kardashian family and the design duo Dolce & Gabbana have established a symbiotic relationship wherein everyone is benefiting.
—Rory Satran, WSJ, 26 Sep. 2022
As an attorney, Caplan thought of himself as a pilot fish.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes, 4 June 2022
In the middle, a truck driven by Jeff Deese serves as a pilot fish for the tanker.
—al, 28 Feb. 2022
Youngblood plays Baby's best pal William, a quick-witted pilot fish who can be quite the jokester.
—Katie Campione, PEOPLE.com, 25 Mar. 2021
That will be decided by the biggest of the big fish; the rest of us will follow, attaching like pilot fish.
—Richard E. Farley, Town & Country, 26 July 2015
Cite this Entry
“Pilot fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilot%20fish. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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