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
These factions do not hold stable territory, but their sporadic resistance — from raids to armed standoffs — signals the first cracks in Hamas’s grip. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Besides this raid, he's also heard about the possibility of National Guard troops deploying here, something a federal court has put on hold for now. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
In that same security compound, Kamal al-Hassan, another high-ranking former official, also raided his office headquarters. Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Protests over immigration actions escalate into clashes Children and adults were pulled from their homes as federal agents raided an apartment complex in Chicago last month, arresting 37 undocumented immigrants in another recent, large-scale raid. Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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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