man-of-war

variants also man-o'-war
Definition of man-of-warnext

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 Melville wrote two more sailing novels that blended fiction and nonfiction based on his experiences on a merchant vessel (Redburn) and a man-of-war (White-Jacket), neither of which succeeded. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 Somewhere over the course of their evolution, the class of hydrozoans — which includes certain kinds of jellyfish, hydras, and colonial siphonophores such as the Portuguese man-of-war — lost the genes that operate circadian clocks in the rest of the animal kingdom. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026 Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, meaning it is made up of a colony of organisms that each have a special function, according to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. — Caroline Wilburn, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for man-of-war
Noun
  • The water should remain below the steamer basket when cooking begins.
    — Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, remove wallpaper using a steamer, commercial wallpaper remover, or DIY liquid remover.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Navy already has ships in the fleet that are former merchantmen.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 10 Jan. 2019
Noun
  • The ships also represent a major investment in Britain’s maritime industrial base, drawing on expertise in naval engineering, aviation support and complex warship construction.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • North Korea has intensified tensions with a series of military displays this month, including short-range ballistic missile launches, live-fire missile and artillery exercises, and the commissioning of a new warship.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That last pandemic was accelerated by a boom in rail and steamship travel but was eventually quashed by advances in science.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Passenger boats have not passed through these parts since the days of the steamship petered all the way out some 60 years ago.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The company’s barge, named You’ll Thank Me Later, has been making runs between the two states and recently docked to bring some construction material at KSC’s turn basin.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The wreckage may have come from a schooner barge, a type of merchant vessel commonly used to transport cargo along the East Coast during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Robinson said.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The freighter, with a crew of 25, was sailing with limited engine power Sunday evening.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Cargo ship cruisers For centuries, cargo ships have welcomed paying passengers, making freighter tourism a niche but enduring industry.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • When the tanker’s food was exhausted, suppliers started bringing rice, daal, tomatoes and potatoes.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The tanker derives from Boeing’s 767 platform, which has recorded 1,361 deliveries since 1982.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But nearly a decade since the first city-run ferryboat set sail, the system has been working to win over skeptics.
    — Julia Press, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026
  • Crofton will be the only living person with a Disney ferryboat named after her.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Man-of-war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/man-of-war. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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