as in piracy
the act or pursuit of robbing ships at sea
officially sanctioned pirating used to be common among warring nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in seizing
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 pirating
Isabella Murray, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2026
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
As evidence, the music labels enlisted a third-party company to flag users found to be pirating content via peer-to-peer file-sharing protocols such as BitTorrent.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthropic has already been in the hot seat for getting caught pirating millions of digital copies of books.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Partida later discovered another neighbor's video showing a man wearing the same hat stealing another package — raising concerns about a possible porch-pirating spree.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The discovery ruling bolsters what’s increasingly looking like a winning argument over the practice of pirating books from shadow libraries.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
When pirating hindered the shipping of gold to Lisbon, Paraty pivoted to farming sugarcane (the basis of cachaça) and later became one of the earliest hubs for coffee growing in a country that is still the globe’s largest exporter of beans.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Downtown Street Teams was founded in Palo Alto in 2005 by Eileen Richardson, a venture capitalist and former chief executive of Napster, a digital platform once known for pirating music that’s since become a streaming service.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Today, Anthropic likely breathes a sigh of relief to avoid the costs of extended litigation and potentially paying more for pirating books.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
But, the pirating is essentially stopped.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Sony lawyer argued Cox failed to act Paul Clement, the lawyer representing the music industry, countered that Cox is manufacturing a worst-case scenario after failing to take reasonable steps to respond to repeat offenders of peer-to-peer file sharing – the most common means of pirating music.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
As evidence, the music labels enlisted a third-party company to flag users found to be pirating content via peer-to-peer file-sharing protocols such as BitTorrent.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthropic has already been in the hot seat for getting caught pirating millions of digital copies of books.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Partida later discovered another neighbor's video showing a man wearing the same hat stealing another package — raising concerns about a possible porch-pirating spree.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The discovery ruling bolsters what’s increasingly looking like a winning argument over the practice of pirating books from shadow libraries.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
When pirating hindered the shipping of gold to Lisbon, Paraty pivoted to farming sugarcane (the basis of cachaça) and later became one of the earliest hubs for coffee growing in a country that is still the globe’s largest exporter of beans.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Downtown Street Teams was founded in Palo Alto in 2005 by Eileen Richardson, a venture capitalist and former chief executive of Napster, a digital platform once known for pirating music that’s since become a streaming service.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Today, Anthropic likely breathes a sigh of relief to avoid the costs of extended litigation and potentially paying more for pirating books.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirating
Noun
-
Lower courts also have to grapple with how the Supreme Court ruling might affect piracy cases that don’t involve broadband service.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The Navy has for years played a central role in maritime campaigns to suppress piracy off the Somali coast.—
Gerry Doyle,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The laws, which her party backed in recent years, eliminated preliminary detention in certain cases and raised the threshold for seizing criminal assets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Mansfield Legacy throttles Crowley Mansfield Legacy piled on the hits against Crowley Friday, seizing a 17-1 victory in a game that ended after three innings.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Melrose, Massachusetts attorney Henry Rappa is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a couple who hired him to handle a major family inheritance.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
His exasperated wife, Lili, gets a classic Lucy Punch-up from the veteran scene-stealing British actress (Jingle Bell Heist).—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The sisters’ mother, Vesta Louis, told Politico this week that federal investigators raided both of their homes in simultaneous operations on March 23, confiscating their cellphones and other electronics.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
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While Tehran is being bombarded, the regime’s security forces have been stationed at checkpoints across the city, searching civilians and confiscating their phones.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The interior renovation includes converting the office cubicles into approximately 399 apartments and 200 hotel rooms.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
These programs focus on converting grass lawns to desert-friendly landscaping and encouraging owners to fix leaks and install smart meters and low-flow devices.—
Dave White,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He is then seen slowly approaching the victim, checking his surroundings, and removing his shoes before grabbing her from behind.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Reaves, meanwhile, spent much of the first quarter grabbing at his back.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The law also allows private citizens to file suit, claiming the government was defrauded and to keep a portion of any money the federal government recovers.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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Guzman is also accused of preparing and filing false tax returns for her and her spouse claiming wages from MAFC and the withholding of federal taxes.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirating. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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