as in buccaneer
someone who engages in robbery of ships at sea
Sir Francis Drake was a British pirate who preyed on Spanish ships with the connivance of Elizabeth I
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to seize
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 pirate
Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Tim Brinkhof The Past Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
So, the Board of Supervisors, through the County Executive Officer, has pirated the Treasurer’s office and is now plundering it.
—John Moorlach, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
The upcoming chapter of the manga is one of the most highly anticipated in its history, as the possible final villain of the story, Imu, is about to take center stage against Luffy and his pirate crew.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Tim Brinkhof The Past Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Include flowering plants in your garden to attract beneficials such as lacewings and pirate bugs, which can help keep populations to manageable levels.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
So, the Board of Supervisors, through the County Executive Officer, has pirated the Treasurer’s office and is now plundering it.
—John Moorlach, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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In 1688 the English buccaneer William Dampier explored New Holland’s northwestern coast.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
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French buccaneers spent much of the seventeenth century hiding and plundering along the northwest coast of Hispaniola, eventually realizing more money could be made farming tobacco and sugar.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Police said that officers seized a quantity of marijuana and a gun that was later found to have been stolen.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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How Jewish villas in the posh Grunewald area were bought up or seized by Nazi bigshots, but now belong to Russian oligarchs.—
John Powers,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 1783, another privateer, John Claypoole, became Ross’ third husband, and the couple raised a large family and lived full lives in the city.—
Marla Miller,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
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These men were, respectively, a reformist prime minister, the founder of the police force, a naval explorer and a privateer.—
Simon Constable,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As part of that rally, James Outman entered for Buxton off the bench and immediately stole a base, which manager Derek Shelton made a point to mention.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
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Police said suspects entered the building and stole multiple bottles of alcohol and money before fleeing.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters.—
Prem Thakker,
The New Republic,
23 Feb. 2023
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After Columbus’s first footfall in the New World, Cuba fell prey to every manner of European freebooter.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Dec. 2021
Verb
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Borzou Arjmand, an Iranian actor living in California, found out from news reports that his assets in Iran had been confiscated.—
Amir Hussein Radjy,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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Though many enterprising merchants can fairly be cast as corsairs or buccaneers, a surprising number are, as people, curiously pallid.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
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In the 1790s, the United States faced a world ruled by corsairs and kings.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Making his fifth start of the season in Queta’s absence, the backup center tallied 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Miami is now 10-2 this season when grabbing more than 15 offensive rebounds.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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