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
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Recent Examples of pirates
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
The park also pointed out a Junior Ranger booklet's mention of female pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries dressing like men to hide among ship crews.
—Karin Brulliard, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Legend has it that pirates let pigs colonize the island to create their own personal food source, but now their Instagrammability draws a steady stream of day-trippers from Nassau.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
Orange County has had experience with pirates.
—John Moorlach, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota, remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
As such, the Italian fighter pilot now spends most of his time as a bounty hunter hired to attack air pirates.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
The third, Thomas Jefferson, fought the Barbary pirates without a formal declaration.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
The park also pointed out a Junior Ranger booklet's mention of female pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries dressing like men to hide among ship crews.
—Karin Brulliard, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Legend has it that pirates let pigs colonize the island to create their own personal food source, but now their Instagrammability draws a steady stream of day-trippers from Nassau.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
Orange County has had experience with pirates.
—John Moorlach, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota, remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
As such, the Italian fighter pilot now spends most of his time as a bounty hunter hired to attack air pirates.
—Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 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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Unfortunately, though, she’s still possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley, whose voice seizes her body with tiresome frequency.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) seizes an opportunity to regain her position.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bar claims the firm refused to remove the attorney’s name from its website for years, ignoring a cease and desist letter from McBratney’s new employer.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Especially Harbour, which checks out, seeing how showrunner Steven Conrad claims to have built the series around the actor’s perpetually warm, aw-shucks persona.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 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
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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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In some exclusive shots from Zendaya’s recent A24 shoot with Robert Pattinson (promoting their new wedding film, The Drama, premiering on April 3), Z’s new bixie cut steals the show.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Mar. 2026
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The seeded, legendary Liscio’s Bakery roll (shoutout to South Jersey) steals the show.—
Jamie Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 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
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Inspectors roam elaborate tunnels used by tomb raiders and smugglers over different eras.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Amongst the sandy plains of the Burning Springs region and throngs of raiders and ruthless cap collectors is Prime Video’s Fallout character, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins).—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The gut converts compounds in pomegranate into urolithin A, which supports mitochondrial repair and longevity.—
Hannah Coates,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
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Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A as needed, so this powerful plant compound can indirectly support vision, skin health, and immune function.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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