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
Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
For decades, the characters in science-fiction movies and TV shows who traveled on spaceships tended to be scientists, explorers, diplomats, soldiers, and pirates.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Off the coast between Somalia and Yemen, the ship was attacked by pirates, and passengers were told to wait on Deck 5 as the captain sped up the ship.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
But today’s pirates are a savvier and sneakier lot, lurking up and down the shipping supply chain.
—Shaleen Devgun, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Within these worlds, there are chances to add in genre-bending plot twists, including vampires and pirates, that affect the rules of the worlds.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Monkey wants to be the Pirate King, but so do a host of other pirates with their own ships and crews.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
New Characters One Piece is renowned for its in-depth world-building and wealth of beloved characters, with thousands of pirates, marines, fishmen, and citizens popping up throughout the series' nearly 30-year run.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
That’s when Billy, a conman serving a debt of service to the pirates, burst through the crowd, yelling at the blaster men.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
For decades, the characters in science-fiction movies and TV shows who traveled on spaceships tended to be scientists, explorers, diplomats, soldiers, and pirates.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Off the coast between Somalia and Yemen, the ship was attacked by pirates, and passengers were told to wait on Deck 5 as the captain sped up the ship.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
But today’s pirates are a savvier and sneakier lot, lurking up and down the shipping supply chain.
—Shaleen Devgun, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Within these worlds, there are chances to add in genre-bending plot twists, including vampires and pirates, that affect the rules of the worlds.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Monkey wants to be the Pirate King, but so do a host of other pirates with their own ships and crews.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
New Characters One Piece is renowned for its in-depth world-building and wealth of beloved characters, with thousands of pirates, marines, fishmen, and citizens popping up throughout the series' nearly 30-year run.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 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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When Day succumbs to his wounds, Dusk seizes the vacuum, claiming Hari Seldon’s psychohistory crystal.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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By the time Megan seizes control of the reins at the film’s close, the abrupt denouement feels jarringly disconnected rather than organic to the storytelling.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, Republicans on Sunday criticized some Democrats, suggesting language used by them contributed to Kirk's killing, claims that Democrats rejected.—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
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The study also claims that the ASW system could reduce a submarine’s chance of escape to just 5 percent, meaning only one in 20 would likely evade detection and attack.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taylor Kitsch is fantastic, but Tom Hopper steals the show.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Still, as Huntrix finally steals the show, the movie shows the singers and the audience as equals.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Outside what is today a parking garage, a group of Union soldiers — unarmed and asleep in tents — were trampled by horses and murdered by Quantrill’s raiders.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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The raiders kill many vault residents and kidnap her father Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), so the sheltered Lucy sets out on a quest to find him.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Comb of many colors At the core of the breakthrough is an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), a resonator that converts incoming laser light into new frequencies using a nonlinear crystal.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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Some scientists theorized that Martian soil might contain a compound that quickly converts any organic material on the surface to carbon dioxide.—
Joel S. Levine,
The Conversation,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the feeling when a film grabs hold remains the same—by a story, a character, a voice—that, never goes out of season.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
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The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.—
AudioFile Magazine
August 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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