as in settler
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 colonizer
But Oakland Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, is finding her way back to the recipes that were lost as the North American continent was carved up by European colonizers.
—
Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizer
Noun
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Eyewitnesses said Israeli settlers set fire to homes, farming sheds and vehicles.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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While Willick was there, some settlers drove by in a white pickup and smiled—including Levi.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Long before federal regulations existed, the couple hosted the very first meeting to form the National Organic Standards Board right there at their ranch, gathering with other pioneers like the Lundberg family to create a unified standard.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Apollo's acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo's online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The aiyi have sent an emissary to Scythia, who will determine whether the colonists deserve to survive.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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The colonists awoke from their dream of lucrative plantations to find churches in ashes and molasses cauldrons rusting in the grass.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That this colonial looks and feels new should be credited to the current owners, who have taken extraordinary care of their home.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
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An extension of the kind of settler-colonial conquest of the American West, and the dispossessions of indigenous people that have been practiced for a century or so.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizer. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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