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
Feon Ang, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
The pilots diverted the flight to Buffalo to attempt an emergency landing.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Black box recovery is critical, experts say, because the technology can point to what pilots were saying before a crash.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
This continuous cycle of training and combat ensures that the frontline experience directly informs new recruits, rapidly expanding Ukraine’s corps of skilled FPV drone pilots.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
The different pilots will also help researchers test and better understand best practices for FIM benefits, Cohen-Cline says.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The quiet professionalism of the crew standing watch beneath the Great Plains, the sailors navigating unseen through dark oceans and the pilots readying aircraft older than their parents are the heart of America’s deterrence.
—Naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
When the aircraft was about 100 miles southeast of Boston, the pilots called into local air traffic control to request a return to its origin.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The flow of migrants that kept Vargas and other raft pilots here busy for years, surging during the Biden administration, has vanished.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.
—Feon Ang, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
The pilots diverted the flight to Buffalo to attempt an emergency landing.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Black box recovery is critical, experts say, because the technology can point to what pilots were saying before a crash.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
This continuous cycle of training and combat ensures that the frontline experience directly informs new recruits, rapidly expanding Ukraine’s corps of skilled FPV drone pilots.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
The different pilots will also help researchers test and better understand best practices for FIM benefits, Cohen-Cline says.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The quiet professionalism of the crew standing watch beneath the Great Plains, the sailors navigating unseen through dark oceans and the pilots readying aircraft older than their parents are the heart of America’s deterrence.
—Naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
When the aircraft was about 100 miles southeast of Boston, the pilots called into local air traffic control to request a return to its origin.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The flow of migrants that kept Vargas and other raft pilots here busy for years, surging during the Biden administration, has vanished.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
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Elsewhere, the Lisbon festival will screen Fernando Vendrell’s Alem do Horizonte – A Travessia (Beyond the Horizon – The Crossing), which recalls early 20th-century Portuguese aeronauts Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho as the first aviators to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a single leg.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
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The space will document the stories of aviators, veterans and civilians whose lives intersected with the base from World War II through the Vietnam War.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In making the announcement, Lego brought out Ke Huy Quan, the Oscar winner who famously played Data, for a nostalgic mini-film, in which the actor guides viewers through the set and its Easter eggs.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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Through heartfelt storytelling and vibrant illustrations, the book guides children (and the adults reading with them) toward a deeper understanding of self-expression, balance, personal joy, and the importance of one’s feelings.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The vibe definitely steers more toward homey than hotel, which is fitting considering its remote, spectacular location.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
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The plot unfolds at the urgent but erratic pace of a life-altering business deal, as Bonitzer unfussily steers us through a series of small rooms as people scramble to determine the proper thing to do with Schiele’s painting.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kylie coaches a high school girls’ field hockey team, drives a green Toyota Sienna minivan and wears a sports bra every day.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Rubino is president of the North County Special Needs Foundation and coaches the Poway Padres, a Special Olympics softball team.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Our ReturnsDirect solution routes items directly from the customer to nonprofit, skipping the warehouse and eliminating the costs associated with that end of the supply chain.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
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The web page now routes users to the university’s Center for Connection Culture.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Air Mail’s fate shows that even the masters of the old form faced major headwinds when trying to navigate the new media landscape.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Video shows one agent restraining the man, then dragging him around as another agent helps pin him to the ground.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pilots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilots. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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