as in pirating
the act or pursuit of robbing ships at sea
many countries have harsh penalties for piracy now
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Recent Examples of piracy
The Navy has for years played a central role in maritime campaigns to suppress piracy off the Somali coast.
—
Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
While women pirates weren’t exactly a dime a dozen even during the height of piracy, there were a surprising number of fearless females who plied the seven seas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Strait of Malacca, a narrow passage linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is the largest chokepoint in the world in terms of maritime oil transport and is known for piracy and robbery.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Operation Atalanta, the maritime operation launched to combat piracy in the waterway, was also extended.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piracy
Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
While women pirates weren’t exactly a dime a dozen even during the height of piracy, there were a surprising number of fearless females who plied the seven seas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Strait of Malacca, a narrow passage linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is the largest chokepoint in the world in terms of maritime oil transport and is known for piracy and robbery.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Operation Atalanta, the maritime operation launched to combat piracy in the waterway, was also extended.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piracy
Noun
-
But, the pirating is essentially stopped.—
Isabella Murray,
ABC News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Medina's attorney told the court during his detention hearing that the Venezuelan national had been attacked and shot in the head in 2018 in Colombia during a robbery.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Blond, blue-eyed and perpetually tanned, Harmon served as Groucho Marx’s assistant on the 1961 CBS game show Tell It to Groucho, then starred as a girl in Hawaii who gets mixed up in a robbery in the beach party movie One Way Wahine (1965).—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piracy. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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