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
Leia Mendoza, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Maybe Charles went on to become a famous nephrologist, or part of the Christian-pirate community, or both.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
The judge's order asserts that Anthropic pirated more than 7 million copies of books.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
After the pirates save Conomi Islands, the crew set sail on their next adventure, while a new bounty is placed on Luffy.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Maybe Charles went on to become a famous nephrologist, or part of the Christian-pirate community, or both.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
Covering 500,000 works that Anthropic pirated for AI training, if a court approves the settlement, each author will receive $3,000 per work that Anthropic stole.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
The judge's order asserts that Anthropic pirated more than 7 million copies of books.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Sep. 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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What’s more, after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czechs who had their property seized by the state were allowed to reclaim much of it through a restitution system – but not ethnic Germans who lost it under the post-war Benes decrees.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
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As my daughter’s face paled, and a man in a clown mask stalked the aisles, panic seized my limbs.—
Christa Carmen,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The ghost ship of Harpswell had been the privateer Dash, which had been lost at sea after compiling its remarkable record.—
Leanna Renee Hieber,
Big Think,
2 Oct. 2025
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Set in 1627, Salé will follow an Icelandic mother and daughter captured by Barbary privateers and sold into slavery in Morocco.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Helm topples trees, uproots crops, overturns feed stacks, steals loose blankets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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French officials and the Louvre Museum have come under international fire in the days and weeks after the heist for security insufficiencies that allowed thieves to steal priceless artifacts in broad daylight.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 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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The property of citizens has been confiscated, there are floggings, and attacks.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The city also can seize and confiscate any e-bike operated in violation of the ordinance’s provisions.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If peaceable trading isn't your dream, consider the corsair life, pillaging other ships for their precious cargo.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Set in 1492, the series follows Sara, the defiant daughter of Granada’s chief Rabbi, exiled during Spain’s expulsion of its Jewish population and captured by Ottoman corsairs (‘Korsan’ in Turkish).—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The woman’s mother then reportedly grabbed Crouch to keep him away from her daughter, causing Crouch to allegedly begin attacking the victim, the affidavit said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Again, hopefully, Foxx was able to relax a little, grab some rays and just breathe.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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