as in settlers
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
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Recent Examples of colonizers
Stressing the omnipresent influence of the Portuguese colonizers, chorizo cooks with red kidney beans and black-eyed peas in a spunky chile-vinegar tomato sauce in a Goan adaptation of Brazilian feijoada.
—
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
To early European colonizers, sassafras appeared to be a medical miracle.
—Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2026
Angola’s Portuguese colonizers were emboldened by 15th-century directives from the Vatican that authorized them to enslave non-Christians.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Crossing Thousands of Miles of Open Ocean Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals, according to the research.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
To early European colonizers, sassafras appeared to be a medical miracle.
—Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2026
Angola’s Portuguese colonizers were emboldened by 15th-century directives from the Vatican that authorized them to enslave non-Christians.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Crossing Thousands of Miles of Open Ocean Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals, according to the research.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
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During that period, settlers flooded into the Utes’ former homelands, Andrews said.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
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The process of transforming this area where many Palestinian families have lived for generations into a Jewish neighborhood has accelerated under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, which includes two cabinet ministers who are settlers themselves.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Ben Johnson’s Bears are pioneers in the field of loopy comebacks.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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While Kendrick Lamar was conquering the hip-hop world, Rashad was honing an introspective style inspired by Southern hip-hop pioneers like Lil Wayne and OutKast.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Noun
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During the Pequot War, a conflict between Connecticut colonists and the Pequot tribe, Capt.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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In Ho Chi Minh City, bánh mì grew out of French colonization — the colonists brought the baguette, and Vietnamese bakers reworked it into something lighter and crispier.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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