as in settlers
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
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Recent Examples of colonizers
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—
Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
The book is set in late-19th-century Malacca (also spelled Melaka), a city in Malaysia, and mentions landmarks left over from two previous European colonizers before the British arrived.
—J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
But Oakland Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, is finding her way back to the recipes that were lost as the North American continent was carved up by European colonizers.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The New York Times How Vietnamese philosopher Trần Đức Thảo conceptualized the divide between colonized and colonizers.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
The book is set in late-19th-century Malacca (also spelled Melaka), a city in Malaysia, and mentions landmarks left over from two previous European colonizers before the British arrived.
—J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
But Oakland Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, is finding her way back to the recipes that were lost as the North American continent was carved up by European colonizers.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The New York Times How Vietnamese philosopher Trần Đức Thảo conceptualized the divide between colonized and colonizers.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
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Most families here are descendants of settlers from Ireland and England who came in pursuit of cod 300-plus years ago.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These white settlers came in successive waves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For the record, Burleson does not credit himself with popularizing the format, citing Chris Klemens and Billy Eichner as pioneers.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Team officials from the 49ers and the Rams have embraced being pioneers in Australia.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The aiyi have sent an emissary to Scythia, who will determine whether the colonists deserve to survive.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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The early colonists were very much anti-idol worshippers and even modern Catholics, as Vice President Vance surely knows, have long been criticized by their Protestant counterparts for a love of statuary, reliquaries and other iconography that some have argued fall into idolatry.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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