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
raided; raiding; raids
: to conduct or take part in a raid
: 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
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Ongoing violent conflicts continue across the country between ICE agents and those opposed to immigration raids and arrests.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for raid
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Noun
Several months later, aggressive immigration raids began in Los Angeles before expanding to other communities across the country, including in Chicago, Portland and Minnesota.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Ongoing violent conflicts continue across the country between ICE agents and those opposed to immigration raids and arrests.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
In one of the largest mass abductions targeting religious worship centers in the West African nation in recent months, the attackers on Sunday raided three different churches in Kaduna state's Kajuru council area, seizing 177 people before 11 managed to escape.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for raid
Cite this Entry
“Raid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raid. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
raid
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden attack or invasion
raid
2 of 2 verb
: to make a raid on
raider
noun
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