variants
also man-o'-war
as in steamer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 man-of-war
Nassau had no men-of-war ships, and Trott’s stone fort was still a building site.
—
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
My hundred-and-forty-foot man-of-war sought to make the first mission to the South Pole, a feat that would bring pride to England.
—Mike O’Brien, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023
Its lyrics, about a sailor bidding goodbye to his lover before boarding a man-of-war bound for England, were written not by Mr. Whittaker but by a British silversmith who responded to a radio contest in which Mr. Whittaker invited listeners to send in verses, with the best put to music.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
Just as airpower eventually killed off the great men-of-war that had ruled the waves for millennia, so cyberweapons might strip other weapons or tactics of their utility.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
The average man-of-war was estimated by a leading shipwright to last only fourteen years.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
In May, the old East Indiaman finally emerged from the Deptford Dockyard as a man-of-war.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
My hundred-and-forty-foot man-of-war sought to make the first mission to the South Pole, a feat that would bring pride to England.
—Mike O’Brien, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023
Its lyrics, about a sailor bidding goodbye to his lover before boarding a man-of-war bound for England, were written not by Mr. Whittaker but by a British silversmith who responded to a radio contest in which Mr. Whittaker invited listeners to send in verses, with the best put to music.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
Just as airpower eventually killed off the great men-of-war that had ruled the waves for millennia, so cyberweapons might strip other weapons or tactics of their utility.
—Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
The average man-of-war was estimated by a leading shipwright to last only fourteen years.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
In May, the old East Indiaman finally emerged from the Deptford Dockyard as a man-of-war.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for man-of-war
Noun
-
Check out other travel tech deals, with portable chargers, clothing steamers, earbuds, and more on sale for up to 82 percent off.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
-
Check out their roundup of products for a spa-like experience without leaving the house, from waffle bathrobes to facial steamers.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
Whole armies could be hidden, fleets of warships could vanish on the high seas, and even whole cities could be built in the hinterland and kept secret.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
-
Based on its silhouette, the researcher identified one of the warships as the Prince of Wales, positioned as the second ship in the single-line formation.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
These preyed upon American merchantmen who either payed tribute or showed forged British passes.—
Thomas Wendel,
National Review,
4 July 2019
-
The Navy already has ships in the fleet that are former merchantmen.—
Kyle Mizokami,
Popular Mechanics,
10 Jan. 2019
Noun
-
In March 2024, the wreck of the steamship Milwaukee, which sank after colliding with another vessel in 1886, was found 360 feet below the water's surface in Lake Michigan.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2025
-
On the Mississippi, where Mark Twain had once waited upriver for steamships from this city, all boat traffic had fallen silent.—
Andrew Moore,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
The frames were built in Poland and shipped by a barge through the European river network to Marseille’s port on France’s southern coast for the contractor to pour the concrete to create 18 cubes.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
These technologies include a bubble barrier that removes small fish trapped under barges or carried in their wake and an acoustic deterrent that creates painful sound waves.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
In 1986, a 520-foot freighter from South Korea scraped the underside of the bridge, destroying one of the ship’s radars.—
Joseph Goldstein,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
-
Two-thirds of the 155 that Boeing sold were configured as freighters, including the final one that left the factory in 2023.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Its data suggests the volume of crude oil and products, including refined fuels, in floating storage on tankers for seven days or longer has risen over the past month by 14% to more than 160 million barrels.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
The tanker continued into the median, struck the median wall then continued west, approximately one-tenth of a mile, igniting on fire.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
The alternative would have been a full scrapping, which is what befell another Staten Island ferryboat, the Andrew J. Barberi.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
10 May 2025
-
As a teenager, Ellen Dare Burling had an unusual summer job: Jumping off a moving ferryboat onto wooden piers, her arms filled with letters and packages destined for summer residents in their southern Wisconsin lake houses.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share