pirated

verb

past tense of pirate
as in seized
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

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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 pirated Any livestream could be pirated. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 25 June 2026 The version of the film that was ultimately pirated across the internet was a high quality file, potentially indicating a breach of systems maintained by those that worked on the movie. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 The reality that her likeness had been basically pirated settled in. — Ella Chakarian, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2026 Anthropic, it was revealed, pirated millions of digital books to train its Claude chatbot and scanned and shredded millions of more physical ones. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026 So, the Board of Supervisors, through the County Executive Officer, has pirated the Treasurer’s office and is now plundering it. — John Moorlach, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026 Justin Nelson, an attorney for the authors, told Alsup that about 465,000 books are on the list of works pirated by Anthropic. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirated
  1. seized
  2. confiscated
  3. stole
  4. converted
  5. appropriated
Verb
  • The goal was limited to driving out the Iraqi troops who'd seized Kuwait.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 18 July 2026
  • Trump has seized on primary wins by progressive Democrats to constantly stoke new fears about communism.
    — Will Weissert, Fortune, 18 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • In a case about Cuban property that was confiscated by Fidel Castro’s government more than 65 years ago, Kagan was the only justice to rule against the property owners.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Smashed and confiscated Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have ordered government employees, judges, police and members of the military to stop using smartphones under a directive that took effect June 16.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • More than six weeks after copper thieves stole its air-conditioning units, the Centre Branch Post Office in Arden Arcade’s Country Club neighborhood remains without central air conditioning, leaving employees and customers to endure the summer heat.
    — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • His specific lie is that Joe Biden stole the election, a plot that, had it been carried out, would have required Biden to be certified as its winner.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of stole
Verb
  • The tiny extra amount of hydrogen is converted into a tremendous amount of energy.
    — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
  • The bulk of the campus had been quickly converted after its previous occupant went down in the fallout from the dot-com bust.
    — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • That’s different from what happened after past disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, when Congress appropriated large portions of the amounts that were requested.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
  • The renovation is being funded by $257 million in funds appropriated by Congress through last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of appropriated

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Cite this Entry

“Pirated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirated. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pirated

Nglish: Translation of pirated for Spanish Speakers

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