as in pilots
one who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft
her father was an airman who was shot down in Vietnam
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Recent Examples of airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of more than 900 African-American military pilots and airmen who flew combat aircraft in World War II.
—
Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing were among six crew members killed on March 12 when their KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
It’s designed to train airmen and -women to survive and return from behind enemy lines.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
The roughly 93-square-mile base houses the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and includes combat-ready airmen and guardians, according to its website.
—CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Three of the airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and three were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Pruitt and five other airmen were aboard a KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft in western Iraq March 12 when the plane crashed in what military officials said was an accidental mid-air collision.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Mar. 2026
How many soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and innocent bystanders must die or be horribly wounded to satisfy our hubris?
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tennessee National Guard said about 170 soldiers and airmen were assisting with recovery efforts, including helping more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and providing rides to nearly 300 emergency and health care workers.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing were among six crew members killed on March 12 when their KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
It’s designed to train airmen and -women to survive and return from behind enemy lines.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
The roughly 93-square-mile base houses the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and includes combat-ready airmen and guardians, according to its website.
—CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Three of the airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and three were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Pruitt and five other airmen were aboard a KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft in western Iraq March 12 when the plane crashed in what military officials said was an accidental mid-air collision.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Mar. 2026
How many soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and innocent bystanders must die or be horribly wounded to satisfy our hubris?
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
The Tennessee National Guard said about 170 soldiers and airmen were assisting with recovery efforts, including helping more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and providing rides to nearly 300 emergency and health care workers.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airmen
Noun
-
The two Canadian pilots who died in Sunday's runway collision at LaGuardia Airport in New York were young, ambitious men at the start of their careers who each had pursued their yearslong dream of flying.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Jeannette Gagnier, the great aunt of one of the pilots, identified him as Antoine Forest.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Texas’ first Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day was recognized on Thursday at the State Veterans Home named in honor of the first African-American military aviators.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The association said the deaths of the two young aviators have shaken up the industry.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Airmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airmen. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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