pirate 1 of 2

as in buccaneer
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pirate

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pirate
Noun
The latter is principally tied to a life in perpetual, untethered motion … like a pirate! Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025 The show will happen in a 60,000 square foot arena with Crimson and Sapphire pirates battling on deck, in the water, and in the sky above full-sized pirate ships. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
Verb
He was booted in 2004 for pirating screeners intended only for members to view and use for awards voting purposes. James Mercadante, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2025 But countries do not all pirate the same content. Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
  • But their populations plummeted in the 18th and 19th centuries, as buccaneers and whalers nabbed tortoises for meat and oil.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Which is not to say that Skeleton Crew, in success, couldn’t ever feature the interstellar buccaneer.
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Officials with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted a search at Ross’ home in Oklahoma and seized materials that were used to build the explosive devices, police said.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2025
  • Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies entering Gaza in March, saying Hamas was seizing supplies meant for civilians - a charge the group denies.
    Nidal al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • The 4x4 is designed for high-speed desert racing, and Shelby and Brady will be putting it to the test as the first privateer team to race one.
    Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The Pantera even saw competition by privateer teams in Group 3, 4, and 5 racing, with largely unsuccessful results.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Trailing in the second inning, Alexis Ramirez reached base on a hit up the middle, then stole second.
    Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
  • The ‘Turkey Brothers’ steal the encore with a boisterous jam As fans begged for an encore to an empty stage, an unlikely guest took center stage.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • After Columbus’s first footfall in the New World, Cuba fell prey to every manner of European freebooter.
    Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
  • There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters.
    Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 23 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • Our families could be dishonored in public, our personal memories confiscated for storage inside the Criminal Archives.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 13 May 2025
  • But white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Vex have new units called Kobolds, Fallen have flying corsairs.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
  • In 1544, Barbarossa, a corsair who had risen to become admiral of the Ottoman navy, raided the island and carried away into slavery almost a thousand inhabitants—practically the island’s entire population.
    Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In the morning, the restaurant doubles as a coffee shop where guests can grab drip coffee, fresh juices, and a small selection of hot and cold breakfast options, including the beloved Hawaiian classic, Loco Moco.
    Jalyn Robinson, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2025
  • The colorful bar framed in bright neon lights is on the main concourse, so people walking by can grab a drink and head to the casino or other favorite activity, Allen said.
    Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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