as in plundered
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the burglars despoiled the art museum in search of treasures they thought they could sell to a fence
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Recent Examples of despoiled
In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.
—
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despoiled
Verb
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What’s the reward for being the most productively plundered of the mid-majors?—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
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In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The item belongs to a rare collection of French crown jewels still held by the nation, after most were looted during the French Revolution beginning in 1789.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Law enforcement officers were injured, autonomous vehicles were set on fire and stores were looted.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last week’s Stick to Football episode, recorded shortly after his successor, Thomas Frank, was sacked by Spurs, was the fastest in its history to reach one million views.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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In recent weeks, Baker McKenzie, a white-shoe law firm, axed 700 employees, Salesforce sacked hundreds of workers, and the auditing firm KPMG negotiated lower fees with its own auditor.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despoiled. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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