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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Recent Examples of pirate
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Besides those figures holding mufflers and tires, others were outfitted as cowboys, Indians, lumberjacks (often known as Paul Bunyans), astronauts, chefs, dentists, golfers, hot dog vendors, race-car drivers, pirates and service-station attendants.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
Massive cannons were stationed at forts across the world, while smaller and more-portable guns accompanied troops and naval (and pirate) vessels.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
Jan Jansen, captured on the swells of the Atlantic by Muslim pirates, left behind a wife and four daughters in his native Haarlem.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Besides those figures holding mufflers and tires, others were outfitted as cowboys, Indians, lumberjacks (often known as Paul Bunyans), astronauts, chefs, dentists, golfers, hot dog vendors, race-car drivers, pirates and service-station attendants.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
Any new Costco will only pirate customers from existing retail stores, adding to new vacancies.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026
Massive cannons were stationed at forts across the world, while smaller and more-portable guns accompanied troops and naval (and pirate) vessels.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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In 1688 the English buccaneer William Dampier explored New Holland’s northwestern coast.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
-
French buccaneers spent much of the seventeenth century hiding and plundering along the northwest coast of Hispaniola, eventually realizing more money could be made farming tobacco and sugar.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Photograph courtesy Jennifer Hulse Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during the Six-Day War, in 1967.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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Bianco obtained three search warrants and began seizing ballots in February, despite being ordered by Attorney General Rob Bonta to pause the investigation.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
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In 1783, another privateer, John Claypoole, became Ross’ third husband, and the couple raised a large family and lived full lives in the city.—
Marla Miller,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
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These men were, respectively, a reformist prime minister, the founder of the police force, a naval explorer and a privateer.—
Simon Constable,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Goode reached on an infield hit and stole second before sophomore Ella Bianco drew a walk to load the bases.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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His camera performs a rousing restoration of the power often stolen from them, ensuring that by the time the credits roll, they’re finally imbued with the kind of divinity only offered to them in name.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 May 2026
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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Next to it was marijuana wrapped in cellophane stained with peanut butter — items that were confiscated at San José Mineta International Airport.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
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Bikini bottoms would be full coverage only; thongs were added to a list of contraband items that included alcohol and nonprescription drugs, which were confiscated from Islanders’ suitcases on arrival.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Though many enterprising merchants can fairly be cast as corsairs or buccaneers, a surprising number are, as people, curiously pallid.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
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In the 1790s, the United States faced a world ruled by corsairs and kings.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Denise ascended the stairs, yelling at Djena all the way up, then grabbed Djena by the collar and began hitting her.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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To make one, grab a clean, thick sock (preferably a larger one) and fill it with uncooked rice, oats, or flaxseed.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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