as in pillaging
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in plundering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despoiling
Verb
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While plundering a dungeon lair and stealing artifacts from a museum both have heist elements to them, Skullduggery looks into the other intrigues of adventures in urban environments.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025 -
The store released a black-and-white video showing the thieves, which appears to be at least four suspects, plundering the business.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Protests intensified over the weekend, with rioters targeting the homes of lawmakers, ransacking and looting properties, and burning government buildings, according to media reports.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Sep. 2025
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Apex Legends, for instance, added Wildcard Mode, which drops looting to focus on faster combat.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh.—
Corey Buhay,
Outside Online,
19 June 2025
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Otherwise, illicit actors will continue to profit from their pillage.—
Justyna Gudzowska,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Verb
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They were ambushed, and Pauline was killed by stray gunfire from marauding mobsters hell-bent on killing Buford.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Reparations, long proposed as the only measure proportionate to the scale of racial plunder, look increasingly like a political, economic, and legal non-starter.—
Idrees Kahloon,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
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Well, there’s this band of down-on-their-luck pirates, see, drawn to the scent of plunder and rousing dance numbers, coming together in another Citadel outdoor summer extravaganza full of music and fun for the whole family, according to the Citadel website.—
Gina Grillo,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The Giants largely held Jayden Daniels in check, particularly after halftime, while sacking him 3 times.—
Howard Megdal,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Micah Parsons #1 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after sacking Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field on September 07, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The pack consists of up to 15 wolves of various ages roaming federal public land near an active cattle grazing allotment, where many of the depredation incidents took place, according the memo.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Researchers looked at wolf abundance, the number killed in wolf hunting and by government removals, and livestock depredation in those states from 2005 to 2001, and found that the amount of livestock saved by killing a single wolf, roughly equaled 7% of a single cow.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
21 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Despoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despoiling. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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