man-of-war

variants also man-o'-war
Definition of man-of-warnext

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for man-of-war
Noun
  • The rooms are on the cozier side but thoughtfully designed, stylish, and comfortable, with details that make a difference, including a steamer that quickly became one of my favorite in-room amenities.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Hold the steamer a few inches from the fabric.
    Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Now in its sixth day, the latest Middle East conflict continues to widen – with the US sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka and Iran being accused of attacking Azerbaijan in the first strikes on the country since the beginning of the conflict, a claim Iran denies.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The British government is preparing to deploy a warship, the HMS Dragon, to defend its base in Cyprus — but that vessel is not expected to mobilize from its dock in Portsmouth until next week.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Victor Rillet, a 21-year-old Frenchman, disembarked the steamship Washington in New York in October 1864, carrying the kind of optimism that fuels both great innovation and spectacular disappointment.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Tom Townsend, a former Putnam County school superintendent, said his family operated steamship tours showcasing the Ocklawaha before construction of the dam.
    David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The use of a memoir as a framing device isn’t a particularly original idea, and the sight of Tommy continuing to tap away at the keyboard while riding on a canal barge is borderline laughable.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Workers using an excavator stationed on a barge filled more than 72 bins, each holding up to 20 cubic yards of waste, with debris from the water, much of which was doused in oil.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Such reboosts have historically been done by Russia's Progress freighter.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Feb. 2026
  • It was converted to a bulk freighter in 1869.
    George Petras, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Saudi Arabia and the UAE could approach storage constraints within three to four weeks if tanker flows remain restricted, excluding Saudi Arabia’s underground storage capacity, which is not captured in current modelling.
    Amena Bakr, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Already, eight supertankers have loaded from the area this month, putting shipments on course for a record, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
    Christine Burke, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The ferryboat was on the go all day long, covering more miles in a day than the barge would cover in a century.
    Eric DuVall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
  • 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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Cite this Entry

“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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