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
Kambole Campbell, Variety, 9 June 2025
And for Trump’s onetime pirate ship of a political movement, Butterworth’s represents an ostentatious new evolutionary phase: the deplorable as arriviste.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Monica Nickelsburg, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Cloud software provider VMware is suing Siemens for allegedly pirating the company’s products through unauthorized downloads.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Noun
Lion has defected from the Wakandan guard in order to run a band of pirates, and has stolen technology from Wakanda in order to found his own kingdom.
—Kambole Campbell, Variety, 9 June 2025
And for Trump’s onetime pirate ship of a political movement, Butterworth’s represents an ostentatious new evolutionary phase: the deplorable as arriviste.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
The notion that software itself had value was novel — so much so that Gates had to write a letter to fellow hobbyists begging them to stop pirating it.
—Monica Nickelsburg, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Cloud software provider VMware is suing Siemens for allegedly pirating the company’s products through unauthorized downloads.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pirate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirate
Noun
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But that’s not all… Reality Distortion According to Vasko, cyber criminals behind this type of villainy may be thought of as AI buccaneers—digital pirates often paid to instigate corporate espionage and theft.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Renoir’s film dramatized the end of an era (of high-society frivolities, as war loomed), and so does Anderson’s; namely, the end of the age of buccaneer industrialism.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In 2024, the DEA seized more than 60 million counterfeit pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder nationwide — enough to deliver more than 380 million lethal doses.—
Mark Michalek,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
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Holding its 24th edition from July 4 – 12, the Swiss showcase for fantastical film, Asian cinema and digital creation has evolved in tow, growing from upstart to institution as outré fare and auteurs seized ever-greater opportunities.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The big-block cars, equipped with 426 ci or 440 ci engines, were campaigned in America and Europe, with greatest success coming to privateer drivers on the drag strip.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
20 June 2025
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The 4x4 is designed for high-speed desert racing, and Shelby and Brady will be putting it to the test as the first privateer team to race one.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The artist, Sir Daniel Winn, believes the pieces may have been stolen by an unscrupulous collector while an art recovery expert believes the two sculptures will be destroyed for scrap metal.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2025
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Also starring Clooney in a leading role, The Monuments Men tells the true story of a group of museum curators, art historians and architects tasked with an unlikely mission: tracking down and recovering priceless works of art stolen by the Nazis before they’re destroyed forever.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Verb
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The Pennsylvania State Game Commission confiscated the wildcats as part of an ongoing investigation.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
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Police would have the power to ticket, impound vehicles, confiscate personal property, revoke licenses and levy heavy fines.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 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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In the few months since its launch, JD.com has grabbed 7.5% of China’s food-delivery market after its daily meal orders reached 20 million on May 13, according to a May 14 research note from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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To help keep your home safe (and know when your Prime Day packages arrive), grab a Ring Battery Doorbell with Indoor Cam for under $150.—
Laura Lu,
Parents,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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