as in settlers
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
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 colonizers
Angola’s Portuguese colonizers were emboldened by 15th-century directives from the Vatican that authorized them to enslave non-Christians.
—
ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Crossing Thousands of Miles of Open Ocean Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals, according to the research.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
The book is set in late-19th-century Malacca (also spelled Melaka), a city in Malaysia, and mentions landmarks left over from two previous European colonizers before the British arrived.
—J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
But Oakland Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, is finding her way back to the recipes that were lost as the North American continent was carved up by European colonizers.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Crossing Thousands of Miles of Open Ocean Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals, according to the research.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
The book is set in late-19th-century Malacca (also spelled Melaka), a city in Malaysia, and mentions landmarks left over from two previous European colonizers before the British arrived.
—J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
But Oakland Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, is finding her way back to the recipes that were lost as the North American continent was carved up by European colonizers.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
-
Local history is also reflected in the design, with a Navy pilot (representing the former Naval Air Station Glenview); a member of the Kennicott family, the early settlers of The Grove; the Glenview Farmer’s Market; and a child riding in the 4th of July bike parade featured.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Attacks by extremist settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank have surged since the brutal Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, with.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Commissioners McSlavkin and Ella Cross both questioned a historical mural in the tunnel, which includes controversial pioneers John Sutter and Peter Burnett, during the meeting.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The musician was born in Los Angeles and was a third-generation creative; his grandparents Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky were pioneers of Yiddish theater, while his dad Ted Thomas was a producer at the Mercury Theater Company in New York.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Courant has reported, most colonists were not exactly mesmerized by the notion of severing ties with the mother country.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
