as in buccaneer
someone who engages in robbery of ships at sea
Sir Francis Drake was a British pirate who preyed on Spanish ships with the connivance of Elizabeth I
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
using pirated software that was subject to copyright
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pirate
Paris Goodman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
Their violence is aimed more at destructive machines than at the pirates operating them.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 June 2025
Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The greater shame would’ve been not being pirated, considering the scale of the theft.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
For kids like Ruthy and Jewel, who’ve had class pirates at the park, the loss felt personal.
—Paris Goodman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
Their violence is aimed more at destructive machines than at the pirates operating them.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 June 2025
Verb
Last year Bloomberg revealed that there have been more than 140 billion visits to pirate streaming sites since 2020 compared to about 105 billion prior to the pandemic according to estimates from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The greater shame would’ve been not being pirated, considering the scale of the theft.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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The buyout buccaneers of the 1980s were their own clients, bootstrapping their corporate takeovers until their sky-high returns lured in outside money.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
19 June 2025
-
But that’s not all… Reality Distortion According to Vasko, cyber criminals behind this type of villainy may be thought of as AI buccaneers—digital pirates often paid to instigate corporate espionage and theft.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
In 2024, the DEA seized more than 60 million counterfeit pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder nationwide — enough to deliver more than 380 million lethal doses.—
Mark Michalek,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
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Speakers at the conference, aimed at helping Republicans hold the House and Senate, seized on Mamdani’s win as a symbol of the Democratic Party’s hard-left turn, using it to paint the entire party with the same brush.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The big-block cars, equipped with 426 ci or 440 ci engines, were campaigned in America and Europe, with greatest success coming to privateer drivers on the drag strip.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
20 June 2025
-
The 4x4 is designed for high-speed desert racing, and Shelby and Brady will be putting it to the test as the first privateer team to race one.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This attack works through thousands of dangerous websites, stealing credit card or PayPal details as soon as they’re entered.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
In a near-future Kolkata, ravaged by climate change, one family is about to escape, until their visas are stolen.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
After Columbus’s first footfall in the New World, Cuba fell prey to every manner of European freebooter.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Dec. 2021
-
There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters.—
Prem Thakker,
The New Republic,
23 Feb. 2023
Verb
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The agents ultimately released him, but confiscated his driver’s license.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
20 June 2025
-
Most importantly, Johnson must support police Superintendent Larry Snelling’s request for the authority to call a snap curfew in emergencies and direct city agencies to confiscate vehicles and other personal property from those who engage in disruptive behavior.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Vex have new units called Kobolds, Fallen have flying corsairs.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
-
In 1544, Barbarossa, a corsair who had risen to become admiral of the Ottoman navy, raided the island and carried away into slavery almost a thousand inhabitants—practically the island’s entire population.—
Lee Marshall,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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Now, folks heading to Shenandoah National Park or beyond can grab some gas, hit the jerky wall, nab a Dr Pepper Icee, load up on fudge, use the famously clean bathrooms, and stock up on Buc-ee’s merch before heading back out on the road.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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