as in aviators
one who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft
the airline is seeking experienced pilots to fly the new airplane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in guides
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 steers
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pilots
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Air traffic control told the pilots to turn right, which put them on a potential collision course with another 737 that had been cleared for takeoff from a parallel runway.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
From their small space station, co-pilots David and Sarah have witnessed the nuclear annihilation of all life on earth.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Washington — Two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s had to make evasive maneuvers on Saturday at Nashville International Airport after collision alarms in the cockpit warned the pilots the planes were too close together.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The second floor is jammed full of technology with a 3-D printing lab, sound recording studios and even flight and driving simulators to help aspiring pilots and drivers get a free start on their training.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
This category examines those friction points, where prototypes meet production, pilots meet procurement, and ambition meets operational reality.
—Interesting Engineering, 14 Apr. 2026
The strike, the third this year from the pilots’ union, covers Lufthansa’s mainline airline, its cargo unit and regional carrier CityLine, while pilots at low-cost carrier Eurowings are walking out only on Monday.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2025
When Claire’s adult daughter Channing pilots the idea of going on a ski trip next year and starting her own holiday traditions, Claire completely ices her out and won’t consider it.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Dec. 2025
Maito then pilots one of these robots, called Gaine, and teams up with other mecha to take down the real evil Nouvelle Tokyo City.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Watch On For each mission simulation, one astronaut pilots the aircraft while another charts the landing area, marking key landmarks, identifying potential hazards and helping to track the flight path.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
And the health contribution caps for screenwriters, pilots, and overall deals, they’ve been frozen for over 20 years.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Air traffic control told the pilots to turn right, which put them on a potential collision course with another 737 that had been cleared for takeoff from a parallel runway.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
From their small space station, co-pilots David and Sarah have witnessed the nuclear annihilation of all life on earth.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Washington — Two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s had to make evasive maneuvers on Saturday at Nashville International Airport after collision alarms in the cockpit warned the pilots the planes were too close together.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The second floor is jammed full of technology with a 3-D printing lab, sound recording studios and even flight and driving simulators to help aspiring pilots and drivers get a free start on their training.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
This category examines those friction points, where prototypes meet production, pilots meet procurement, and ambition meets operational reality.
—Interesting Engineering, 14 Apr. 2026
The strike, the third this year from the pilots’ union, covers Lufthansa’s mainline airline, its cargo unit and regional carrier CityLine, while pilots at low-cost carrier Eurowings are walking out only on Monday.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
The drones are always recording and equipped with high-quality zoom and thermal cameras as a Cincinnati police officer remotely pilots the drone from the department's command center.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2025
When Claire’s adult daughter Channing pilots the idea of going on a ski trip next year and starting her own holiday traditions, Claire completely ices her out and won’t consider it.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Dec. 2025
Maito then pilots one of these robots, called Gaine, and teams up with other mecha to take down the real evil Nouvelle Tokyo City.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Watch On For each mission simulation, one astronaut pilots the aircraft while another charts the landing area, marking key landmarks, identifying potential hazards and helping to track the flight path.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilots
Noun
-
The museum has a collection of artifacts and aircrafts such as the Apollo 9 Command Module, a mock-up of the Lockheed Vega 5B, flown by Amelia Earhart, B-58 Hustler flight plans and various pictures of famous aviators and airplanes.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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The United States rescued two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Wilderness guides at Magashi Peninsula are well trained, the accommodation and food spoiling, and the wildlife sightings glorious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Rather than making decisions for clients, Bacon guides them through the process, keeping them focused on one area at a time.—
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This year’s event raised money for UpSpire, an employment program; Tarrant Area Food Bank; United Community Centers, focusing on food and literacy; and Tarrant To & Through Partnership, which steers students toward college or careers.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
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Studies show that during neutral years, the jet stream often steers storms out to sea rather than toward the Gulf Coast or Southeast, reducing overall landfall risk.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her husband, Drew, who filed for divorce after her resignation, coaches the boys team.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Mattei lauded Miller, who coaches the Angels’ C-team and works with the varsity guards, as a unicorn at the intersection of sports and music.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is software that encrypts data traffic and routes it through private tunnels to secure servers to prevent anyone from being able to read it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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The platform that routes content to the right provider, enforces terminology, tracks usage, maintains audit trails, and integrates with CI/CD pipelines and CMS platforms becomes the product.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While the handling of the outburst by BAFTA and the BBC wasn’t ideal for anyone involved, the outrage and fallout from the event shows that Davidson’s lifelong mission to educate the wider population about Tourette syndrome is ongoing, and so important.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the wake of the Iranian attack on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, MarineTraffic tracking data shows an almost total standstill of vessels transiting through the waterway.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilots. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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