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
There have been no immigration raids outside Charlotte schools so far, but the mothers’ work mixes a strong sense of purpose with a lingering sense of paranoia. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025 During Wednesday's raid in Youngwood, it was discovered that a clerk at the store was in the United States illegally and was handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the district attorney's office said, which added that he is expected to be deported. Christopher Derose, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
Her husband's workplace - a construction site - was recently raided. Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 13 Nov. 2025 On Monday, the Marion County Board of Commissioners agreed to more than $3 million in combined payouts to three journalists and a former city councilor whose home was also raided. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 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 25 Nov. 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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