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
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
There were 170 passengers and six pilots and crew aboard.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 16 June 2026
In the early days of the club, pilots were still flying aircraft built from scratch or purchased as kits consisting of balsa wood, bamboo, and tissue paper, said Don Kurtz, 76, a former flight instructor who first joined the club in the 1970s.
—Randy Tucker, USA Today, 15 June 2026
The August sighting was called in by two commercial pilots, one from American Airlines and another from JetBlue minutes later.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Companies conducting air jumps face more regulations than private pilots flying a typical plane, but those requirements have more to do with the proper handling of skydiving equipment rather than flying the plane itself.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
The other victims include passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (also known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi), Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
On many commercial flights, pilots transition to sophisticated autopilot systems shortly after takeoff that manage much of the flight at cruising altitude.
—Tim Burns, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 8 May 2026
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
Noun
Delta Flight 1966, an Airbus A321neo traveling from San Juan, was carrying 170 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
There were 170 passengers and six pilots and crew aboard.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 16 June 2026
In the early days of the club, pilots were still flying aircraft built from scratch or purchased as kits consisting of balsa wood, bamboo, and tissue paper, said Don Kurtz, 76, a former flight instructor who first joined the club in the 1970s.
—Randy Tucker, USA Today, 15 June 2026
The August sighting was called in by two commercial pilots, one from American Airlines and another from JetBlue minutes later.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Companies conducting air jumps face more regulations than private pilots flying a typical plane, but those requirements have more to do with the proper handling of skydiving equipment rather than flying the plane itself.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
So British officials spread the story that their pilots were eating large amounts of carrots to explain their sharp night vision, misleading the enemy into thinking diet, not technology, was behind the success.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
The other victims include passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (also known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi), Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
On many commercial flights, pilots transition to sophisticated autopilot systems shortly after takeoff that manage much of the flight at cruising altitude.
—Tim Burns, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Verb
There's also an optional co-op mode, which allows two players to split the controls of the Arwing starfighter and other vehicles; one person pilots them while the other shoots at enemies.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 8 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilots
Noun
-
Another option is to simply opt for a pair of aviators that match your own.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Hyatt Regency Lake Washington Budding aviators, plane geeks and those looking for any type of airport job can get a sneak peek without even booking an airline ticket.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin reopened in April with overhauled ride vehicles, upgraded interactive blasters, and a new character named Buddy who guides guests through the mission.—
Jacqueline Dole,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
Technological convergence, not a single technology, guides the future.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Interestingly, the latest high-profile college sports bill, the Protect College Sports Act, perhaps smartly steers clear of college athlete employment.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
-
That process shapes and steers the beam while reducing hardware complexity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Mike is the head football coach at Division III Washington & Jefferson College; Jay, the middle brother, now coaches track and field and teaches social studies at Southwestern.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The scene was equally incredible to his father, Jaxon McClure, a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Chattanooga playing soccer with trash cans for goalposts, now coaches hundreds of local children and named his first child after one of the sport’s greatest stars.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Resolution Capability The most important question to ask any vendor is whether their agent actually resolves issues or just routes them.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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In addition, the new system routes incoming calls to the closest of the county’s three call centers, switching automatically to another county center if any one should become flooded with calls, and even recruiting nearby counties in the rare event all three county centers are overwhelmed.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The budget shows salaries and benefits going up more than $300,000 and services and supplies going down nearly $200,000.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Times video taken at the scene shows one man lying on the ground, his leg bleeding and wrapped with a green garment as a tourniquet, while others help him.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilots. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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