maraud

verb

ma·​raud mə-ˈrȯd How to pronounce maraud (audio)
marauded; marauding; marauds

intransitive verb

: to roam about and raid in search of plunder
a marauding gang of thieves

transitive verb

: raid, pillage
Norsemen marauded the country.

Examples of maraud in a Sentence

just for kicks, bored teenagers marauded neighborhood houses while their owners were away
Recent Examples on the Web Forces were seeking to suppress the marauding forces of Somali warlord Mohamed Farah Aided, who absconded with food aid deliveries meant to relieve a devastating famine. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 31 May 2023 Civilians there have begun arming themselves against marauding militias and against the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese Army. Elian Peltier, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2023 Separatist gangs and marauding gunmen known locally as bandits have terrorized parts of the country through kidnappings for ransom. Stephanie Busari, CNN, 21 Feb. 2023 Now with 13 games left prior to the playoffs, the Bruins need four more wins to equal the franchise-best mark of 57 W’s piled up by the marauding 1970-71 club led by Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito et al. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Mar. 2023 That’s all fine and good for shows that might appeal to a younger, less hard-drinking crowd, but what about the midnight marauding EDM audience, who are used to, and expect, the party to go all night long? Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2023 In other parts of the country, marauding gunmen known locally as bandits have carried out mass kidnappings mostly for ransom. Nimi Princewill, CNN, 23 Feb. 2023 This much is undisputed: hundreds of rally attendees—some armed with metal flagpoles, baseball bats, pepper spray and stun guns—smashed their way into the Capitol building and loitered in the halls, splintering off to rummage through offices or maraud an empty chamber of Congress. Hawa Allan, Time, 7 Jan. 2022 As truly violent criminals maraud and run rampant through New York City, this DA exhibits zero interest in law-enforcement and prosecution. NBC News, 31 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maraud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French marauder

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of maraud was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near maraud

Cite this Entry

“Maraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maraud. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

maraud

verb
ma·​raud mə-ˈrȯd How to pronounce maraud (audio)
: to roam about and raid in search of things to steal
marauder noun

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