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
-
Fortunately, clothes steamers take up less space and (usually) require less laborious work to achieve wrinkle-free results.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 June 2025
-
Unlike a steamer, Bounce’s spray is tiny enough to go inside your toiletry bag, which saves so much room in your carry-on.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The American warship is the only U.S. aircraft carrier currently positioned to help counter China.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
-
The name, man o’ war, is derived from the animal’s resemblance to the Portuguese sailing warship, the caravel or man of war, in full sail.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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
-
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
-
On a stormy night in 1904, a steamship off the coast of Sydney, Australia, sank.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The annual spectacle, lighting up the city since 1976, this time was launched from barges in the Hudson River, the first time in more than a decade not done from the East River.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
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After a barge crashed into the restaurant in 2019, the main dining area sank and sent pieces onto the banks of the Ohio River with tables, chairs and umbrellas floating upriver.—
Hailey Roden,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
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The company grew steadily over the next 50 years, buying its first seven Boeing 727s freighters after two years of lobbying led to Congress deregulating air cargo.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
22 June 2025
-
This is no more outlandish than Carol’s flight to France by way of Greenland, or Daryl’s voyage on a massive freighter.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Noun
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During the recent conflict, the Israeli Air Force demonstrated an impressive capability to reach targets deep inside Iran while relying on its aged Boeing 707 tankers for refueling its fighter jets.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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While some Iranian cargoes are shipped directly from Iran to China, the majority undergo multiple ship-to-ship transfers, often in the Middle East Gulf or the Strait of Malacca, where Iranian oil transported by sanctioned vessels is transferred to non-sanctioned tankers before shipping to China.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 June 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
-
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 13 Jul. 2025.
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