as in pirate
someone who engages in robbery of ships at sea the ship was captured by freebooters who were looking for gold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of freebooter There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters. Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 23 Feb. 2023 After Columbus’s first footfall in the New World, Cuba fell prey to every manner of European freebooter. Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 In April, 1492, buoyed by the seizure of Granada, Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to sponsor the Italian freebooter Christopher Columbus on his initial expedition across the Atlantic. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2021 Mr. Bugaev is a dedicated, if largely sedentary, Cossack, a centuries-old fraternity of Slavic warriors, freebooters and freedom-loving rebels. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 14 July 2016 The window of opportunity for freebooters to loom large has closed. Steve Kettmann, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2000
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freebooter
pirate
Noun
  • Off the coast between Somalia and Yemen, the ship was attacked by pirates, and passengers were told to wait on Deck 5 as the captain sped up the ship.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Participants are encouraged to dress like a pirate and to wear shoes and clothes that can get wet.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Freebooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freebooter. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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