as in hijackers
someone who hides on a ship, airplane, etc., in order to travel without paying or being seen
A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
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Recent Examples of stowaways
Wheel wells are a common spot for stowaways to enter airplanes, and nearly 80% don’t survive the flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Most stowaways result in fatalities, with the Federal Aviation Administration estimating more than 76% end in deaths.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of stowaways discovered in recent years, raising concerns over airline security.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Cases of stowaways hiding in wheel wells are rare but not unprecedented — and survival is rarer still.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Aviation safety experts note that stowaways who make it through such flights are often unconscious during landing, which puts them at serious risk of falling when the landing gear is deployed.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
The first two episodes are entirely in the native Hawaiian language, and the arrival of some non-Hawaiian characters — mostly white stowaways and a Black slave — gradually introduces English into the mix.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Most stowaways result in fatalities, with the Federal Aviation Administration estimating more than 76% end in deaths.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of stowaways discovered in recent years, raising concerns over airline security.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Cases of stowaways hiding in wheel wells are rare but not unprecedented — and survival is rarer still.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Aviation safety experts note that stowaways who make it through such flights are often unconscious during landing, which puts them at serious risk of falling when the landing gear is deployed.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
The first two episodes are entirely in the native Hawaiian language, and the arrival of some non-Hawaiian characters — mostly white stowaways and a Black slave — gradually introduces English into the mix.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stowaways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stowaways. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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