stowaway

1 of 2

noun

stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
Synonyms of stowawaynext
: one that stows away

stow away

2 of 2

verb

stowed away; stowing away; stows away

intransitive verb

: to secrete oneself aboard a vehicle as a means of obtaining transportation

Examples of stowaway in a Sentence

Noun A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
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.
Noun
Traveler Melissa Oddie captured video of the furry stowaway, which the airport later shared on Facebook. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026 The 2022 deal struck by Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, involved sending migrants who arrive in the UK as stowaways or in boats to the East African country. Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
The woman – who was previously convicted of stowing away on a flight from JFK – allegedly slipped onto a United flight during boarding and wasn't discovered until halfway through the flight to Milan. Julie Hanson, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026 Martha Gellhorn stowed away on a hospital ship to become the only woman journalist to land on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Kathy Kiely, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stowaway

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stowaway was in 1848

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Stowaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stowaway. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stowaway

1 of 2 noun
stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
: one who stows away : an unregistered passenger

stow away

2 of 2 verb
ˌstō-ə-ˈwā
: to hide aboard a vehicle to obtain transportation

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