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
Elizabeth Holtzman, Time, 9 June 2026
No child, or reader of Robert Louis Stevenson, can deny the allure of pirates, but the marauders are rarely the good guys in the story.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
The spot is known for its utter romance and distinct architecture, with buildings featuring balconies hovering over the water—it's said these were used by resident merchants to load their goods directly onto boats and (hopefully) avoid pirates.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2026
Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Hondo Ohnaka has picked up intel about a shady deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a crew of pirates.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
The pirates had used an unexpected behavior, however, to create a voltage glitch.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Using the latest version of Epic’s Unreal Engine, each Smugglers Run locale is heavily detailed, putting us in more of a dogfight as the Mandalorian chases down pirates and ex-Imperial officers.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Noun
Tens of thousands drowned, while others were raped, robbed, and murdered by pirates, finding vulnerable prey.
—Elizabeth Holtzman, Time, 9 June 2026
No child, or reader of Robert Louis Stevenson, can deny the allure of pirates, but the marauders are rarely the good guys in the story.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
The spot is known for its utter romance and distinct architecture, with buildings featuring balconies hovering over the water—it's said these were used by resident merchants to load their goods directly onto boats and (hopefully) avoid pirates.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2026
Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Hondo Ohnaka has picked up intel about a shady deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a crew of pirates.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
The pirates had used an unexpected behavior, however, to create a voltage glitch.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Using the latest version of Epic’s Unreal Engine, each Smugglers Run locale is heavily detailed, putting us in more of a dogfight as the Mandalorian chases down pirates and ex-Imperial officers.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 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
-
Trump seizes America’s 250th-birthday spotlight, headlining the Great American State Fair, hosting a UFC bout at the White House and promoting new passports, $250 bills and coins bearing his image.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
Noun
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After the Revolutionary War, the United States maintained no standing fleet, but attacks by the Barbary pirates—corsairs based in North Africa who preyed on American merchant ships and took sailors ransom—drove Congress to reestablish a navy in the 1790s.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
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
Verb
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Extropic claims that its system will be up to 10,000 times more energy-efficient than today’s GPUs while also enabling 1,000 times faster inference.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The company claims the vehicle can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds and hit a top speed of 190 mph.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
22 June 2026
Noun
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Corporate raiders became the enforcers.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
For decades, tomb raiders have pillaged sites across the country, selling them on the black market.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The album’s second half steals the show.—
Maria Nenet Barrios,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
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Critics are at 78% fresh for the older-guy-skewing period drama, which follows the dude who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
16 June 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
Verb
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Canned Beets Beets are naturally rich in nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide, Malone explained.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
21 June 2026
-
Broader findings from the research show that entertainment IP – across superhero properties, action-adventure franchises, kids’ animation and classic character brands – converts fans to buyers at two to four times the rate of major sports teams and events.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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