1
as in guided
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed
piloted the figure skater through the national championships
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in steered
to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front
the lead rider piloted the rest of the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 piloted
After narrowing the options, the resource was piloted in classrooms and evaluated, per the district memo.
—
Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Entrants had to meet some basic criteria, including either being fully autonomous (making their own decisions using AI and sensors) or remotely controlled (piloted by a human), with the competition putting an emphasis on the former over raw speed.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
The bunk beds were first piloted in 2024, but will now expand to the new Dreamliners.
—Emma Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
According to documents in the Del Mar capsizing case, the panga piloted by Rodriguez and Zuniga left Mexico on May 4 with 19 total people on board.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piloted
Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Entrants had to meet some basic criteria, including either being fully autonomous (making their own decisions using AI and sensors) or remotely controlled (piloted by a human), with the competition putting an emphasis on the former over raw speed.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
The bunk beds were first piloted in 2024, but will now expand to the new Dreamliners.
—Emma Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
According to documents in the Del Mar capsizing case, the panga piloted by Rodriguez and Zuniga left Mexico on May 4 with 19 total people on board.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piloted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piloted
Verb
-
Quenneville was the next huge piece of the puzzle, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner as a head coach has guided the Ducks to a first-round postseason upset.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Romans hasn’t had a drink since and in the clarity of his own sobriety, found yet another life lesson that guided him to run.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
In terms of the modern era, though, Forest are rookies at this level, as this is their first season with continental football since Frank Clark — one of the club’s Miracle Men — steered them to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1996.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Two of the Bumblebee drones were being steered to collide with the third, as part of the soldiers' initial training for the kind of drone-on-drone combat that's been taking place for months on the battlefield in Ukraine.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So far, Mike Bethea has coached seven NBA players — including Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Terrence Williams — in his 33 seasons at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Fitzgerald, who coached 17 seasons at Northwestern, is back in the college game three years after his messy breakup with the Wildcats.—
Eric Olson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Working with local police, the Secret Service conducted site reviews of the sprawling complex and established a security perimeter to prevent suspicious individuals from approaching the president and other VIP attendees.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Ravens conducted a protracted search, hiring Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter — one of Harbaugh’s former assistants — as the franchise’s fourth head coach.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The appointment of a new interim chancellor should be accompanied by broad authority to clear out the wreckage.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
Echevarria is the rare president who walks amid stretching players before games, has accompanied players to the NFL draft and fills his game suite with not just UM but national celebrities.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Austin Williams led Lockport (18-5, 1-1) with seven kills.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while CJ McCollum, who had shaped too much of this series already, was limited to six points on 3-for-10 shooting.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But patience can sometimes be a death knell in the playoffs, and Game 4 showed how a lack of it can be a virtue.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Youssef joked on The View after the hosts showed him a video of Fox News slamming his appearance on the kids show.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piloted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piloted. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
