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.
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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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Magyar has called for all of Orbán’s cronies in the government to resign and has committed to holding to account those who plundered Hungary.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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The collapse of Prospect Medical, a for-profit hospital chain plundered by private equity and the company’s management, has generated a painful litany of woes.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 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 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ravens quarterbacks were sacked 45 times in 2025, including 38 against Lamar Jackson.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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On the night their cup opponent sacked their second head coach in four months, four days before kick-off, with their campaign in tatters, United’s 20-man squad smashed through another brick wall.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despoiled. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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