as in steering
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1
as in guiding
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed
piloted the figure skater through the national championships
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in conducting
to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front
the lead rider piloted the rest of the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in navigating
to operate or control the course of
managed to pilot the plane to safety despite the failure of the left engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piloting
John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Reactor designs are tailored to customer needs, allowing integration into existing systems and application-specific piloting at industrial sites.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
With Kinta piloting, and Momo’s psychic powers fused with Aira’s hair abilities, the group makes a desperate attempt to shift the battle in their favor.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Next comes some fancy piloting, the detachment of the thrusters, and then the scavenger ship is effectively so much deadweight in space, at least for now.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Given its long range and the high likelihood of operating in an environment compromised by electronic warfare system, the Liutyi is not designed for remote piloting.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Jonathan Garrett, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Bailey's campaign previously shared the tragic news that Zachary, Kelsey, Vada Rose and Samuel had died after a helicopter Zachary was piloting crashed on the way home from a convention in Montana.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The hearing was the third in as many years in the halls of Congress since fiery testimony in July 2023 reignited public fascination in UFOs – as well as the possibility that extraterrestrial are piloting them.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Germany is piloting a one-kilometer inductive-charging segment on the A6 motorway near Bavaria.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
The best-case scenario for a boat captain piloting a cruise during such a tsunami is to be in the open ocean in deep water and ride out the swell.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Late country singer-songwriter Brett James was piloting the plane that killed him and his family, new details have revealed.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
James was piloting the aircraft and appeared to lose control while attempting to land, according to a preliminary NTSB report.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
The post also included a video of Nixon piloting the helicopter around the end of the Huntington Beach pier with a view of the coast.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
Give Charlotte credit for a forward-thinking move rather than auto-piloting into his next contract, but the short-term consequence is that there are no qualified starting centers here.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Reactor designs are tailored to customer needs, allowing integration into existing systems and application-specific piloting at industrial sites.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
With Kinta piloting, and Momo’s psychic powers fused with Aira’s hair abilities, the group makes a desperate attempt to shift the battle in their favor.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Next comes some fancy piloting, the detachment of the thrusters, and then the scavenger ship is effectively so much deadweight in space, at least for now.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Given its long range and the high likelihood of operating in an environment compromised by electronic warfare system, the Liutyi is not designed for remote piloting.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Similarly, some music influencers have begun piloting live-listening and album-playback sessions on Twitch—an attempt to transplant a cherished artifact of the analogue era into the digital world.
—Jonathan Garrett, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Bailey's campaign previously shared the tragic news that Zachary, Kelsey, Vada Rose and Samuel had died after a helicopter Zachary was piloting crashed on the way home from a convention in Montana.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The hearing was the third in as many years in the halls of Congress since fiery testimony in July 2023 reignited public fascination in UFOs – as well as the possibility that extraterrestrial are piloting them.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Germany is piloting a one-kilometer inductive-charging segment on the A6 motorway near Bavaria.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
The best-case scenario for a boat captain piloting a cruise during such a tsunami is to be in the open ocean in deep water and ride out the swell.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Late country singer-songwriter Brett James was piloting the plane that killed him and his family, new details have revealed.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
James was piloting the aircraft and appeared to lose control while attempting to land, according to a preliminary NTSB report.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
The post also included a video of Nixon piloting the helicopter around the end of the Huntington Beach pier with a view of the coast.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piloting
Noun
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Despite its considerable bulk, the S680 was in its element, using its prodigious 664 ft lbs of torque to slingshot out of the curves, while rear-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension and all-wheel drive kept it on an even keel through the tightest Alpine curves.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The sport drive mode improved steering feel, transmission and throttle response.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Hudson dressed up in her clever attire, Belichick spent Halloween guiding his UNC Chapel Hill football players during their away game against Syracuse University.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
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Equity is a guiding principle in the district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan, which seeks to stabilize IPS enrollment and finances while also providing more educational opportunities to students of color.—
Amelia Pak-Harvey,
IndyStar,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the agents were conducting an immigration enforcement operation at the time.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The emerging damage of deepfakes On September 15th, 2025, Reuters reported that international gangs were conducting fraud operations by using AI to make online romance scams more believable.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Springsteen has been open over the years about navigating depression, which began to get serious during his early 30s.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Bangladesh’s government has plans to hand over the management of multiple hubs, including Chattogram’s largest terminal, New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT), to foreign operators by December.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
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In Uttar Pradesh, a development initiative provided community health workers with a smartphone app that combined diagnostic and treatment instructions with a client-management program.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Heat directed press inquiries to the NBA’s statement while the Trail Blazers noted that Splitter would take on interim head coaching duties.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Billups, who began coaching the Trail Blazers in 2021 after having played in the NBA for 17 years, made his initial appearance in federal district court in Portland on Thursday on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, court records show.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Panthers’ running game continued to lead the charge in the third quarter.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
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Vinicius Jr also thrived in the Italian’s counter-attacking tactical setup, which was designed at least in part to suit his pace and direct running, and delivered the club’s two most recent Champions League trophies in 2022 and 2024.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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China has been building the world’s largest navy, launching high-tech warships at a frenetic pace under the leadership of Xi Jinping, putting pressure on the United States and its Pacific allies to keep pace.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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The Sherman Phoenix board of directors has committed to strengthening leadership and accountability.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piloting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piloting. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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