raider

noun

raid·​er ˈrā-dər How to pronounce raider (audio)
Synonyms of raidernext
: one that raids: such as
a
: a fast lightly armed ship operating against merchant shipping
b
: a soldier specially trained for close-range fighting
c
: one that attempts a usually hostile takeover of a business corporation
corporate raiders

Examples of raider in a Sentence

The village needs protection from enemy raiders. Raiders had emptied the tomb of treasure. He made his fortune as a corporate raider.
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.
The Taopiaopiao release centers on an underperforming local police unit that fabricates minor cases to pad its record, only to uncover a genuine criminal conspiracy after a burst water main exposes a gang of tomb raiders posing as repair workers. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026 Vestar was born in 1988 during private equity’s first boom, the same year a brash NYC firm known as Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts took down mighty RJR Nabisco for $25 billion ($70 billion in today’s terms), back when deals were called LBOs and dealmakers were known as corporate raiders. Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Nor did their eyes shed tears over the burning library that raiders furnished with the ashes of seven thousand books, which the novelist Mamdouh Azzam had collected over fifty years inside his house in Suwayda. Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026 Millions couldn’t escape the raiders on the continent. Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raider

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of raider was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raider. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

Legal Definition

raider

noun
raid·​er
: one that attempts a usually hostile takeover of a business corporation compare white knight

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