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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pirate
Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
In historic downtown, cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture tell the island’s story—complete with a touch of pirate lore—while the 13 miles of pristine coastline offers relaxing activities like horseback riding on the beach.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
Seattle sacrificed only one of its Top 10 prospects (24-year-old first baseman/DH Tyler Locklear), in exchange for the slugging infielders and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson, pirated from Pittsburgh.
3.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
Protests have continued throughout the year, including ahead of the country’s 80th independence anniversary in August, when many discontented citizens raised pirate flags in lieu of or alongside the national flag to voice their discontent.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
In historic downtown, cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture tell the island’s story—complete with a touch of pirate lore—while the 13 miles of pristine coastline offers relaxing activities like horseback riding on the beach.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
Include flowering plants in your garden to attract beneficials such as lacewings and pirate bugs, which can help keep populations to manageable levels.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
Seattle sacrificed only one of its Top 10 prospects (24-year-old first baseman/DH Tyler Locklear), in exchange for the slugging infielders and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson, pirated from Pittsburgh.
3.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
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The conference curated a world of coming wonders for several hundred C-suite buccaneers who had paid up to fifty thousand dollars apiece to update their mental models and investment portfolios.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Leaders must continuously renew and reinvent their strategies to seize opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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With each load seized, the cartel would take another bite off its own tail.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jeremy Borrelli, a staff archaeologist for ECU's maritime studies program, told Fox News Digital the team recovered 63 wooden shipwreck timbers – 47 of which are believed to be part of La Fortuna, a Spanish privateer ship from Cuba.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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But it was captured by a British privateer and departed for Jamaica, crammed with 442 enslaved people.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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How can someone steal from you and simply get away with it?—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Two innings later, Martin singled, stole second base and eventually scored the winning run in a ninth-inning comeback victory.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters.—
Prem Thakker,
The New Republic,
23 Feb. 2023
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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
Verb
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At a concurrent raid at the STUM’s headquarters, a dozen people in plain clothes, including the Shwe Pyi Thar ward administrator, were described as forcibly entering the office to confiscate laptops and cellphones.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Sep. 2025
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The victims had had their passports and phones confiscated.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vex have new units called Kobolds, Fallen have flying corsairs.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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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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Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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