raid

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a hostile or predatory incursion
b
: a surprise attack by a small force
2
a
: a brief foray outside one's usual sphere
b
: a sudden invasion by officers of the law
c
: a daring operation against a competitor
d
: the recruiting of personnel (such as faculty, executives, or athletes) from competing organizations
3
: the act of mulcting public money
4
: an attempt by professional operators to depress stock prices by concerted selling

raid

2 of 2

verb

raided; raiding; raids

intransitive verb

: to conduct or take part in a raid

transitive verb

: to make a raid on

Examples of raid in a Sentence

Noun They launched a raid against the enemy. Weapons were also seized during the drug raid. They caught five smugglers in the raid. Verb The village was raided often by neighboring tribes. Police raided the house and found drugs. Federal agents raided the warehouse, seizing stolen property and arresting five smugglers. She raided her sister's closet to find something to wear to the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Key Background In June, Trump took control of the California National Guard to respond to ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles, quickly sending some 4,000 troops to the city. Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Earlier in January, Homan was joined by the TV personality Dr. Phil in a blitz of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
The National Park Service said rangers had detected and raided this cultivation site in 2024, but were unable to rehabilitate the site until mid-August of this year due to the presence of hazardous chemicals. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2025 In 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided his home in California in connection with his bong company, Chong Glass, on charges of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia. Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for raid

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English (Scots) rade, from Old English rād ride, raid — more at road

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1848, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of raid was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raid. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

raid

1 of 2 noun
: a sudden attack or invasion

raid

2 of 2 verb
: to make a raid on
raider noun

More from Merriam-Webster on raid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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