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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pirate
Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
In historic downtown, cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture tell the island’s story—complete with a touch of pirate lore—while the 13 miles of pristine coastline offers relaxing activities like horseback riding on the beach.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
Seattle sacrificed only one of its Top 10 prospects (24-year-old first baseman/DH Tyler Locklear), in exchange for the slugging infielders and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson, pirated from Pittsburgh.
3.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
Protests have continued throughout the year, including ahead of the country’s 80th independence anniversary in August, when many discontented citizens raised pirate flags in lieu of or alongside the national flag to voice their discontent.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
In historic downtown, cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture tell the island’s story—complete with a touch of pirate lore—while the 13 miles of pristine coastline offers relaxing activities like horseback riding on the beach.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
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, 5 Aug. 2025
Seattle sacrificed only one of its Top 10 prospects (24-year-old first baseman/DH Tyler Locklear), in exchange for the slugging infielders and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson, pirated from Pittsburgh.
3.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
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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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That initial investigation led the HPD to obtain a search warrant to seize electronic devices from the property associated with the IP address of the cyber tip, and the department investigated online communications.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Sep. 2025
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In addition, several firearms and drugs were seized from other residences, according to police.—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jeremy Borrelli, a staff archaeologist for ECU's maritime studies program, told Fox News Digital the team recovered 63 wooden shipwreck timbers – 47 of which are believed to be part of La Fortuna, a Spanish privateer ship from Cuba.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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But it was captured by a British privateer and departed for Jamaica, crammed with 442 enslaved people.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The bots would impersonate beneficiaries, using dates of birth and other information that can be found on the internet, to try to change the beneficiaries’ bank-routing information and steal their benefits.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Through the first week of September, Soto stole three bases.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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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According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, 12-inch centipedes were also confiscated and the green mamba, which had been sick, died after the raid.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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The boats were seized, the catch was confiscated by the government.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Vex have new units called Kobolds, Fallen have flying corsairs.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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In 1544, Barbarossa, a corsair who had risen to become admiral of the Ottoman navy, raided the island and carried away into slavery almost a thousand inhabitants—practically the island’s entire population.—
Lee Marshall,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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