variants
also man-o'-war
as in steamer
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Recent Examples of man-of-war
Nassau had no men-of-war ships, and Trott’s stone fort was still a building site.
—
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
My hundred-and-forty-foot man-of-war sought to make the first mission to the South Pole, a feat that would bring pride to England.
—Mike O’Brien, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023
Its lyrics, about a sailor bidding goodbye to his lover before boarding a man-of-war bound for England, were written not by Mr. Whittaker but by a British silversmith who responded to a radio contest in which Mr. Whittaker invited listeners to send in verses, with the best put to music.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
Just as airpower eventually killed off the great men-of-war that had ruled the waves for millennia, so cyberweapons might strip other weapons or tactics of their utility.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
The average man-of-war was estimated by a leading shipwright to last only fourteen years.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
In May, the old East Indiaman finally emerged from the Deptford Dockyard as a man-of-war.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
My hundred-and-forty-foot man-of-war sought to make the first mission to the South Pole, a feat that would bring pride to England.
—Mike O’Brien, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023
Its lyrics, about a sailor bidding goodbye to his lover before boarding a man-of-war bound for England, were written not by Mr. Whittaker but by a British silversmith who responded to a radio contest in which Mr. Whittaker invited listeners to send in verses, with the best put to music.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
Just as airpower eventually killed off the great men-of-war that had ruled the waves for millennia, so cyberweapons might strip other weapons or tactics of their utility.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
The average man-of-war was estimated by a leading shipwright to last only fourteen years.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
In May, the old East Indiaman finally emerged from the Deptford Dockyard as a man-of-war.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for man-of-war
Noun
-
Harris notes the large market for shower steamers with energizing scents that help people wake up.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
10 July 2025
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This unit comes with 12 pieces, including a long spray nozzle, a round brush, and a fabric steamer tool.—
Michelle Lau,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
Noun
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China's navy has been operating farther afield and near Japanese territory with increasing frequency, the report said, noting that Chinese navy warships passing between islands in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa have tripled in number between 2021 and 2024.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
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Iron Bottom Sound was called Savo Sound before World War II, but Allied sailors gave it its current moniker for the huge numbers of warships that sank in battle there.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
Noun
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These preyed upon American merchantmen who either payed tribute or showed forged British passes.—
Thomas Wendel,
National Review,
4 July 2019
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The Navy already has ships in the fleet that are former merchantmen.—
Kyle Mizokami,
Popular Mechanics,
10 Jan. 2019
Noun
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In 1860, Ingram died while sailing aboard the Lady Elgin, a steamship that sank after being hit by another vessel on Lake Michigan.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 June 2025
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En route to Milwaukee, one of the steamships, the Sultana, lost 42 Essex Super Six cars and sedans overboard.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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This company's launch vehicle, simply named Maia, is designed with a recoverable and reusable booster stage that will land on an offshore barge following liftoff from the Guiana Space Center in South America.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
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An unpermitted fireworks barge that exploded, injuring a half-dozen people in Alabama.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Launched on Thursday, the space freighter is scheduled to dock to the Poisk module on Saturday (July 5).—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
4 July 2025
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The Manitoulin, a 663-foot freighter, became stranded on Wednesday, Jan. 22, when ice rapidly formed amid freezing temperatures off the Buffalo shoreline, the AP reports.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Air tankers dropped nearly 180,000 gallons of fire retardant on July 13 alone.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
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Two single-engine air tankers based in Mesquite delivered fire retardant to assist with initial suppression efforts before dark, according to the report.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The alternative would have been a full scrapping, which is what befell another Staten Island ferryboat, the Andrew J. Barberi.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
10 May 2025
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As a teenager, Ellen Dare Burling had an unusual summer job: Jumping off a moving ferryboat onto wooden piers, her arms filled with letters and packages destined for summer residents in their southern Wisconsin lake houses.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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