freebooter

noun

ˈfrē-ˌbü-tər How to pronounce freebooter (audio)
Definition of freebooternext
as in pirate
someone who engages in robbery of ships at sea the ship was captured by freebooters who were looking for gold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of freebooter There is widespread, cross-partisan public support for finally clamping down on these corporate freebooters. — Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 23 Feb. 2023 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 In April, 1492, buoyed by the seizure of Granada, Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to sponsor the Italian freebooter Christopher Columbus on his initial expedition across the Atlantic. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2021 The window of opportunity for freebooters to loom large has closed. — Steve Kettmann, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2000
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freebooter
pirate
Noun
  • Speaking of singing pirates, Curry clearly fancied these kinds of roles, signing on to play the villainous Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Brian Henson’s musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That is up from Politico’s report that Somali pirates had seized at least three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer since April, while a chemical-carrying ship was hijacked off Yemen in July.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pirate

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freebies
freebooter
freebooters
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Cite this Entry

“Freebooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freebooter. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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