PILOTS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

pilots 1 of 2

noun

plural of pilot

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

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pilots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pilot

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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in navigates

to operate or control the course of managed to pilot the plane to safety despite the failure of the left engine

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pilots

Noun

Something awarded only to licensed pilots with a perfect safety record of 50 years, and less than one percent of airline pilots -- only a handful of women -- have received it. —

Rina Nakano, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026 Given that the cutoff age in America for commercial airline pilots is 65, eyebrows might be raised by making 82-year-old Ben Kingsley the captain on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai. —

David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026 The jet smashed into the truck at 104 mph, separating its cockpit from the fuselage and killing both pilots. —

Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026 Figuet said the concerns have mostly to do with the additional burden placed on pilots and the possibility of delays or other logistical issues. —

Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026 As battlefields become ever more saturated with drones and skilled FPV pilots, helicopter crews will need to assume drones could come for them from any angle at any time. —

Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026 That huge gap, and not mandatory vaccinations, transgender bomber pilots or immigrant semi drivers, should have been the key issue in the last six national elections. —

Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 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

Verb

Benji gives in to whatever Jake wants, desperate not to rock the boat, while Jake frequently pilots their relationship, taking control without giving much thought to Benji and his desires. —

David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026 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

Previously, aviators could use the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan on their aircraft, but as its name suggests, Aviation 300MPH capped the in-motion internet access at 300mph, so Roam was no longer an option on planes.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
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