Thesaurus results for POACHING

poaching 1 of 2

noun

as in smuggling

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poaching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of poach

as in boiling

to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam poaching fish in a stock flavored with white wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 poaching

Noun

Engineers blame the exodus on aggressive poaching from cash-flush rivals, frustration at falling behind on coding benchmarks, and engineers chasing pre-IPO equity before rivals go public. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 Kenya has previously recorded incidents of elephants being poisoned as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflict. — CBS News, 29 July 2026 Their primary threats are habitat loss and poaching, and wild populations have declined by at least 80 percent over three generations. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 For most proteins and vegetables, grilling, baking, poaching, roasting, and steaming preserve nutrients while adding little to no additional fat or calories. — Sarah Anzlovar, Verywell Health, 28 July 2026 The reserve once had a diverse wildlife population but was wiped out in the early 1980s because of rampant poaching and prolonged insecurity in the country. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 In the OpenAI case, the WSJ suggested that Apple might be motivated to bring the lawsuit just to slow down either OpenAI’s device development or the poaching of its employees. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026 Today, most poaching in the area is done not for elephant tusks or rhino horn, as in the past, but for bushmeat, particularly zebra, buffalo, and giraffe. — Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026 Recently, though, Disney has begun making moves — including the poaching of Zameczkowski — that suggest its pace of activity in APAC could be quickening. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026

Verb

Over the past decade of DPP rule, Beijing has restricted imports of Taiwanese goods and limited free-spending tourist arrivals, while poaching 10 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, so that only 12 remain. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Kenya has until recently been widely recognized for rebuilding its elephant population from historic lows to more than 36,000 individuals by reducing poaching and protecting elephants. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 In what many observers considered a warning shot, the company last month sued Amazon for allegedly poaching HBO marketing executive Pia Barlow. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026 The next day, the Pac-12 filed a declaratory action in federal court, arguing that the poaching penalties constituted an unlawful restraint on competition. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Plus, management has made big bets on dealmaking after poaching top bankers. — Jeff Marks,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026 However, that plan seems to have hit a snag, as days before the Codex Micro appeared, Apple sued OpenAI, accusing it of stealing trade secrets to build its hardware and of poaching ex-Apple staff for confidential product details. — New Atlas, 25 July 2026 This is not an endorsement of poaching in a disruptive sense, but seamless recruitment from the client side can be a win-win. — Will Johnson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Similarly, braising, while a longer process than poaching, can have a similar effect and produce tender meat for things like soups and curries. — Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poaching

Noun

Two people have been arrested and charged with wildlife trafficking in what federal officials said was a yearslong smuggling operation.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Five months after his return to the board, prosecutors allege the smuggling operation was in full swing.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of smuggling

Noun

Cabinet members reserve almost a fifth of the government’s vaccine stockpile for themselves, and the public reacts with mass looting and violent civil unrest.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Efforts to prevent looting had been made even before the formation of the MFAA.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026

Definition of looting

Verb

This could bring up feelings of resentment, competitiveness or passive aggressiveness, especially if there’s been something simmering in the background.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
The president’s order follows his simmering dissatisfaction with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, known as EMALS, going back to 2017.

— Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of simmering

Noun

Upon arrival, the constant chime of notifications stops, replaced by the sounds of Gulf waves, the rustling of marsh grasses, and the calls of shorebirds.

— Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
From the anti-Trump side, meanwhile, the American people hear a nervous rustling of vague doubts.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026

Definition of rustling

Noun

In Nolan’s telling, his deceit and plundering portend the collapse of the Bronze Age—a foreboding warning about greedy, fading empires that feels a little too relevant.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
Some have traveled farther as part of colonial-era collections — as far as the British Museum — and been returned; a story unto itself about the plundering of the natural world in the age of empire, and institutions reckoning with their inheritance.

— Tom Page, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of plundering

Noun

Arnold has been charged with eight felony counts stemming from a February incident — four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.

— Tobias Bass, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
The 23-year-old became a free agent in June, when the Detroit Lions released him a few days after the kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy charges were levied.

— Andrew Destin, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of kidnapping

Noun

If his decades-long track record is any indication, Sanders would be inclined to make excuses for our adversaries and look on the bright side of their repression and rapine.

— Rich Lowry, National Review, 25 Feb. 2020
There is no question about the general philosophy that underlay this great act of public pillage and economic rapine.

— Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 13 Mar. 2013

Definition of rapine

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“Poaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poaching. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of poaching

noun

verb

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