as in buccaneers
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 seizes
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 pirates
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
The duo wore Patriots jerseys and hats, one a fluffy American flag design, and the other a hybrid between a pirates hat and a football.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
On the island’s western end, Fort Frederik is a spectacular example of an 18th-century Danish masonry fort, originally constructed to protect the natural deep-water port from pirates and rival nations.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Instead of just repairing the damage, her late dad, Bill Spencer, let his imagination run wild and created a spooky pirates cave and a suspension bridge.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Then there’s the scourge known as porch pirates.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Violent storms battered the vessel, and pirates loomed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Jan. 2026
Under the chandelier lights, actors dressed as Joan of Arc, pirates, and mythical beasts waltz over a celestial floor and crack jokes between takes.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
You’re surrounded by cartoon obstacles, fake pirates and a giant dinosaur — all metaphors that don’t require explanation.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
The duo wore Patriots jerseys and hats, one a fluffy American flag design, and the other a hybrid between a pirates hat and a football.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
On the island’s western end, Fort Frederik is a spectacular example of an 18th-century Danish masonry fort, originally constructed to protect the natural deep-water port from pirates and rival nations.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Instead of just repairing the damage, her late dad, Bill Spencer, let his imagination run wild and created a spooky pirates cave and a suspension bridge.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Then there’s the scourge known as porch pirates.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Violent storms battered the vessel, and pirates loomed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Jan. 2026
Under the chandelier lights, actors dressed as Joan of Arc, pirates, and mythical beasts waltz over a celestial floor and crack jokes between takes.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirates
Noun
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The conference curated a world of coming wonders for several hundred C-suite buccaneers who had paid up to fifty thousand dollars apiece to update their mental models and investment portfolios.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Iran seizes 2 ships on smuggling claims DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, claiming the vessels had been smuggling fuel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The company claims that the birds flew preset routes and returned to base on command, marking an unusual step toward animal-machine hybrids that blur the line between biology and robotics.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
However, in December, the company issued a statement about Oklahoma homeowners claims that attested to close coordination with the insurance department.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Acknowledging burdens and consequences In the 1790s, the United States faced a world ruled by corsairs and kings.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2026
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Apple has provided some guilty pleasure companion reading for fans of Vince Gilligan‘s new apocalyptic drama Pluribus, full of proud, haughty pirates corsairs and Mandovian spicefruit.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Shop these standout steals and more below.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Though the 24-year-old star has only recently been thrust into the mainstream spotlight, Williams has played a wide variety of roles, from a depressed young man seeking approval from a lost friend to a humanoid chatbot who steals a woman from her husband.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Nov. 2025
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Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Taopiaopiao release centers on an underperforming local police unit that fabricates minor cases to pad its record, only to uncover a genuine criminal conspiracy after a burst water main exposes a gang of tomb raiders posing as repair workers.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
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Vestar was born in 1988 during private equity’s first boom, the same year a brash NYC firm known as Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts took down mighty RJR Nabisco for $25 billion ($70 billion in today’s terms), back when deals were called LBOs and dealmakers were known as corporate raiders.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This converts the Bilt Blue into a flat-rate 2X no-annual-fee card that earns transferable points; the Bilt Obsidian would earn 4X points on dining or groceries, and the Palladium would earn 3X points everywhere.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
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Stop by to catch a new exhibit or a poetry reading, or come back for happy hour when the space converts into a rum and cocktail bar.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirates. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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