raider

noun

raid·​er ˈrā-dər How to pronounce raider (audio)
: 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.
Its namesake, cattleman Oliver Loving, was shot by a band of raiders during a cattle drive in 1866, and died of shock a few days later after a doctor didn’t amputate his gangrenous arm. Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 All of them have been broken into by raiders over the centuries, their walls smashed or lids prised off despite once being locked shut with metal clasps. Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025 Outside what is today a parking garage, a group of Union soldiers — unarmed and asleep in tents — were trampled by horses and murdered by Quantrill’s raiders. Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025 Critics say the practice incentivizes tomb raiders to loot ancient archeological sites and that the objects belong in their countries of origin. Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025 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 7 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

raider

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

More from Merriam-Webster on raider

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