as in buccaneers
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 seizes
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 pirates
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Our Navy, its creation was actually to free international waters from the Barbary pirates.
—NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
This inland route, protected from sea storms and pirates, enabled travelers to journey safely up and down the coast as if on a modern interstate highway.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Rather than prohibiting unlicensed copies, the patent became, combined with the rise of the internet, a blueprint for pirates.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Exhibits also cover pirates and the natural history of the area.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Tim Brinkhof The Past Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Themed weeks include Harry Potter, Star Wars and pirates.
—Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Guest lecturers were competent, discussing everything from pirates in the Caribbean to the Panama Canal.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Our Navy, its creation was actually to free international waters from the Barbary pirates.
—NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
This inland route, protected from sea storms and pirates, enabled travelers to journey safely up and down the coast as if on a modern interstate highway.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Rather than prohibiting unlicensed copies, the patent became, combined with the rise of the internet, a blueprint for pirates.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Exhibits also cover pirates and the natural history of the area.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Tim Brinkhof The Past Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Themed weeks include Harry Potter, Star Wars and pirates.
—Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirates
Noun
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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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Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The department claims that forty-seven cents of every federal dollar given to states is wasted on regulatory compliance, and Burke and McMahon plan to release more federal money as direct block grants to states, rather than filtering it through Ed.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Restitution claims frequently ignite extensive legal battles.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Acknowledging burdens and consequences In the 1790s, the United States faced a world ruled by corsairs and kings.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Apple has provided some guilty pleasure companion reading for fans of Vince Gilligan‘s new apocalyptic drama Pluribus, full of proud, haughty pirates corsairs and Mandovian spicefruit.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Flagg — the only player this season to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals — and Edgecombe showed their franchises that their futures are in good hands.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
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The previous movie focused on a rich playboy who steals art.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Nov. 2025
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Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
All that maritime commerce also attracted its fair share of Viking raiders from Scandinavia.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scientists in South Korea have discovered a way to transform pollution into power by introducing a new type of gas battery that converts greenhouse gases into usable electricity.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Beets contain nitrates, which are compounds that your body converts into nitric oxide.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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