variants
also man-o'-war
as in steamer
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Recent Examples of man-of-war
Somewhere over the course of their evolution, the class of hydrozoans — which includes certain kinds of jellyfish, hydras, and colonial siphonophores such as the Portuguese man-of-war — lost the genes that operate circadian clocks in the rest of the animal kingdom.
—
Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
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
-
There the steamer has remained and become a home for marine life.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Whole artichokes can be reheated in a steamer basket for 2 to 3 minutes or microwaved, covered with a damp paper towel, for about one minute.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 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
-
That warship, an expeditionary sea base, is about the size of an aircraft carrier and can support helicopters and special forces.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
This will be Japan's first ever warship export project, with the first vessel scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2029.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That’s what was being asked — for days — after the White Star Line’s famous steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
There was no direct overland route, so cross-country mail got routed via steamship around South America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Your journey begins with a quick (complimentary) boat ride on a traditional rice barge across the Chao Phraya River.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Origin’s Endurance lander departed NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday for a trip by barge back to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for final preparations to launch on the company’s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On something huge like a North Sea passenger ferry or a freighter, just stopping the ship can take miles to accomplish, never mind putting about.—
David Szondy
April 19,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
-
According to a statement from Lufthansa, the cargo division can operate up to two-thirds of our regular freighter operations.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hopes that tanker traffic could resume with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz were dashed before engines could even fire up.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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The protests have caused chaos as blockades at Ireland’s only oil refinery and several vital depots prevented tanker trucks from delivering fuel to service stations and more than a third of pumps ran dry.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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