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
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
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Both pilots survived the crash.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The airspace remained closed for 86 minutes, during which time flight patterns show dozens of other planes likely had to change course — making pilots and passengers unwitting participants in SpaceX’s test of the most powerful rocket ever built.
—Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 8 Jan. 2026
Needless to say, the prototypes got a bit bent and the pilots ended up in full white-knuckle mode.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
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
In Maryland and New York, the pilots will include rural and homebound veterans.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
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
In 2025, the Navy expanded its training programs for future E-6B pilots, with courses now held in Oklahoma, where the majority of the aircraft are based and operated.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Both pilots survived the crash.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The airspace remained closed for 86 minutes, during which time flight patterns show dozens of other planes likely had to change course — making pilots and passengers unwitting participants in SpaceX’s test of the most powerful rocket ever built.
—Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 8 Jan. 2026
Needless to say, the prototypes got a bit bent and the pilots ended up in full white-knuckle mode.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
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
In Maryland and New York, the pilots will include rural and homebound veterans.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
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
-
Klum wore the same ensemble but swapped her aviators for rectangular brown frames.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Pataky shared a sweet photo of Hemsworth holding one of the twins, who rocked a pair of aviators.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Book experiences with locals like Barefoot Billy, who guides an epic, 26-mile Jet Ski tour, or Marianne van den Broek, a professional sand sculptor who leads workshops.—
Kelsey Ogletree,
Midwest Living,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Premium Pliers Gugino, who guides striped bass and bluefish around Boston Harbor, and Rubner never leave the dock without a premium pair of pliers.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Following the money Hinojosa and Bell have tied Abbott’s private-school voucher push to a broader argument about favoritism, arguing the program steers public dollars to mostly Christian schools while benefiting wealthy contributors.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
McKissick recommends sticking within the 19 to 24 inch frame range and steers her clients toward the sleek Samsung Frame when possible.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The facility has a locker room, showers, training room, industrial-sized washer and dryer, coaches offices and a kitchen.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
As the training mates shared the podium, coaches Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov beamed, snapping photos from the sidelines.—
Patrice Hutton,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How Phantom Shuttle steals your data Socket researchers say Phantom Shuttle routes all your web traffic through proxy servers controlled by the attacker.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
This underwater infrastructure quietly routes 95-99% of internet traffic, depending on the estimate, and are both complex to install and critical to the functioning of the web.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dak Brinkley shows pass rushing ability KU freshman defensive end Dak Brinkley recorded the first two sacks of his college career on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The atlas shows routes spanning from Spain to Syria, connecting more than 5,000 ancient settlements.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pilots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilots. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share