hacker

noun

ˈha-kər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
Definition of hackernext
1
as in cracker
a person who illegally gains access to a computer system and sometimes tampers with its information the company's security experts spent days trying to figure out how a hacker could have gotten past the firewall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amateur
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science weekend golf hackers who are there mainly for the social networking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hacker But the worry is that hackers could cause greater disruptions, such as a surge in water pressure that could burst pipes and endanger critical facilities, including hospitals, Corman said. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 In Georgia, the Clayton County Water Authority briefly issued a boil-water advisory when it was targeted by hackers. — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Then the hacker can use control of the OS to further tamper with the BMC. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 Moreover, neither superpower should be pleased to live in a world where the best hackers aren’t human and will not reliably do as they’re told. — Garrison Lovely, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hacker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hacker
  1. cyberpunk
  2. amateur
  3. geek
  4. kid
  5. beginner
  6. hack
  7. novice
Noun
  • Cyberpunk is the best known of all, assuming itself as an antithesis of utopian visions of science fiction worlds and simultaneously as a space of dystopias in which the cyberpunk fights against artificial intelligence that controls the world.
    — Paulo Nuno VicenteAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
  • Many are financed through crowdfunding, with subscribers garnering exclusive perks, and embrace subtitles and alternate audio (a series like the Japanese cyberpunk Milky Subway is dubbed in 10 different languages).
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of cyberpunk
Noun
  • Contrary to perceptions, nonprofit workers aren’t well-meaning amateurs waiting for tech to save the day, but savvy operators with deep community knowledge and relationships that can’t simply be replicated.
    — Max Simkoff, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The interior minister said that the operation did not appear to be the work of amateurs but rather had been professionally planned and executed.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of amateur
Noun
  • From nomadic migrations to geek culture, many of the works seek to record and archive changing relations to place and community, not only in Doha but across the Gulf region.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Holland’s jittery, earnest, winsome take on the iconic 64-year-old comic iconic was instantly likable, radiating teen-geek charisma.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of geek
Noun
  • The kids are now older and played by different actors (Emma Ho and Gabriel Barbosa).
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The idea is that keeping their community healthy will keep kids in school learning.
    — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Founder Megan Masters fell in love with mahjong in 2023, but found the sets expensive and overwhelming for beginners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Falls are another injury risk beginners underestimate, according to Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC, a senior brain health coach at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginner
Noun
  • The launch will test just how many health-maxxing hacks consumers want in their snacks.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Irregular also oversaw the tests that involved autonomous AI hacks disclosed by Anthropic and OpenAI.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hack
Noun
  • The epic eight-part Italian drama was widely acclaimed and streamed in the fall on Mubi, a relatively novice player in the episodic game.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The music industry has been wrestling with the pros and cons of the new technology that allows musical novices to create professional-sounding songs in seconds.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of novice

Browse Nearby Words

hacked (off)
hacker
hackers
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Cite this Entry

“Hacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hacker. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hacker

Nglish: Translation of hacker for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hacker

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