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
-
In between dry cleaner drop-offs, use a steamer to de-wrinkle your suit.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Some children, who arrived swimming, clambered onto the rudders of the passing steamers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Canberra expects the first of the new warships to be operational by 2029, a Defense Ministry statement said.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Let The Mockery Continue The Royal Navy warship, which is leading the international Carrier Strike Group 2025 (CSG25), was meant to showcase the UK's commitment to the Indo-Pacific.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 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
-
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
-
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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The rising fifth-grader at Lehrman Day School in Miami Beach was one of five summer campers aboard a 17-foot Hobie Getaway that was hit by a 60-foot barge around 11:15 a.m. on July 28 between Hibiscus and Monument islands off Miami Beach.—
Milena Malaver,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
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Mila Yankelevich, 7, and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han were also killed after the 60-foot barge being pushed by a tugboat crashed into the 17-foot Hobie Getaway sailboat with five campers — girls between the ages of 7 and 13 — and one 19-year-old female camp counselor aboard.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The carrier also has five air freighters in the fleet.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
In the six years since then, Boeing has only received orders for 28 planes, and that was mostly for freighters or from Chinese leasing companies, which could be buying them on behalf of airlines outside China.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement The Financial Times reported that the Trump Administration is preparing to blacklist dozens of additional tankers in the coming days, following the precedent set by the Biden Administration, which sanctioned 213 tankers before leaving office.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
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There’s no denying artificial intelligence (AI) can replace a lot—including, in the end, think tankers pondering its effects.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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One foggy morning this spring, a ferryboat traversed the choppy waters between lower Manhattan and Governors Island.—
Adam Iscoe,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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