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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pirates
Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Under the chandelier lights, actors dressed as Joan of Arc, pirates, and mythical beasts waltz over a celestial floor and crack jokes between takes.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Inside, you’ll be transported to the golden age of piracy and meet actors portraying famous pirates of the past, Wallsmith said.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
The effect brings to mind a fortress of serenity crafted by the pirates and explorers who landed here centuries ago and vowed never to leave.
—Gemma Price, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
December is the busiest time of year for package deliveries and for the porch pirates who steal them.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
The Houthis are now supporting Somali pirates to again raid ships in the Indian Ocean.
—Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
His innocence is preyed upon by two manipulative pirates in The SpongeBob Movie.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 19 Dec. 2025
To catch porch pirates, patrol officers look for cars without license plates and warn that crooks often dress up as package or food delivery drivers to disguise themselves.
—Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
Then there’s the scourge known as porch pirates.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Under the chandelier lights, actors dressed as Joan of Arc, pirates, and mythical beasts waltz over a celestial floor and crack jokes between takes.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Inside, you’ll be transported to the golden age of piracy and meet actors portraying famous pirates of the past, Wallsmith said.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
The effect brings to mind a fortress of serenity crafted by the pirates and explorers who landed here centuries ago and vowed never to leave.
—Gemma Price, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
December is the busiest time of year for package deliveries and for the porch pirates who steal them.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
The Houthis are now supporting Somali pirates to again raid ships in the Indian Ocean.
—Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
His innocence is preyed upon by two manipulative pirates in The SpongeBob Movie.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 19 Dec. 2025
To catch porch pirates, patrol officers look for cars without license plates and warn that crooks often dress up as package or food delivery drivers to disguise themselves.
—Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
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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Season 2 also seizes on an obvious opportunity.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And yet Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claims that the agents were justified despite evidence so clear that it can be found unedited on YouTube.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
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Tooson claims the hospital failed to protect its employees from unlawful surveillance in one of the most private places, the workplace.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 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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If your boss repeatedly steals credit, your first move is not to react.—
Chris Lipp,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 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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Nor did their eyes shed tears over the burning library that raiders furnished with the ashes of seven thousand books, which the novelist Mamdouh Azzam had collected over fifty years inside his house in Suwayda.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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All three together create the predisposition that converts to purchase, premium pricing, and sustained growth.—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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On top of disc brakes at the axles, many employ regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy into electricity that feeds back into the power grid or can be used by other trains.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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