Thesaurus results for DESPOILED

despoiled

verb

past tense of despoil

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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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.

Recent Examples of despoiled One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despoiled

Verb

In the sixties, artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Peter Saul had plundered lowbrow visual culture for elemental materials.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
The class-action deal covers relatives of people who donated bodies between January 2018 and March 2023, amid uncertainty over which cadavers Lodge plundered before cremation or return to families.

— Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of plundered

Verb

But Nolan also throws a meditative new wrinkle into the story, as Odysseus comes to grips with his role in the Trojan War, leading the charge as his men raped, murdered and pillaged in his name.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 July 2026
For decades, tomb raiders have pillaged sites across the country, selling them on the black market.

— Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

Definition of pillaged

Verb

The house’s lawyers maintained in court that the heirs’ consent was gained through Mondex Corporation, which specializes in the recovery of art and other assets looted during World War II, reports TAN.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Last year, the museum returned fragments of a silk manuscript from China that dated to more than 2,000 years ago and had been looted from a tomb.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of looted

Verb

Throw out the Fresno State shutout, since that feels a bit like an aberration at this point, and the Trojans have only sacked the quarterback three times in their other four games.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Dak gets sacked on the latter, and Dallas has to settle for three.

— Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of sacked

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“Despoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despoiled. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of despoiled

verb

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