as in steals
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
a professional burglar was able to heist a box of jewelry from the safe in the closet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 heists
Jennifer Cannon, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Many Pokémon card heists exceed that.
—Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Coop has also, thus far, been able to pull off his heists to supplement his family’s lavish lifestyle after being fired from his finance job.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The heists have prompted calls for better security to protect valuable artworks.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
What follows below are six of the most brazen art heists ever pulled off, from the crime that accidentally made The Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world to the Romanian kitchen where a Picasso may have gone up in smoke.
—Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The crime in Parma comes after a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including a major incident in October where thieves stole jewels and other items worth 88 million euros ($101 million) from the Louvre in Paris.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Based on the Don Winslow novella, Crime 101 follows an elusive jewel thief (Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Thieves have pulled off stunning jewelry heists as well, including one valued at $100 million.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
The robbery would later be connected to a smaller cache of precious gems that had gone missing the previous month from the Beverly Hills home of real estate developer Paul Trousdale, a close friend of the Kirkebys—making these twin burglaries among the largest heists in Los Angeles history.
—Jennifer Cannon, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Many Pokémon card heists exceed that.
—Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Coop has also, thus far, been able to pull off his heists to supplement his family’s lavish lifestyle after being fired from his finance job.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The heists have prompted calls for better security to protect valuable artworks.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
What follows below are six of the most brazen art heists ever pulled off, from the crime that accidentally made The Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world to the Romanian kitchen where a Picasso may have gone up in smoke.
—Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The crime in Parma comes after a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including a major incident in October where thieves stole jewels and other items worth 88 million euros ($101 million) from the Louvre in Paris.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Based on the Don Winslow novella, Crime 101 follows an elusive jewel thief (Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Thieves have pulled off stunning jewelry heists as well, including one valued at $100 million.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heists
Noun
-
One of the latest Minneapolis car thefts presented a nightmare for a mom, watching as a stranger drove away with her 3-month-old baby still in the vehicle.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Police in late March warned of a string of vehicle thefts across the Loop and South Loop.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deed theft is essentially when someone steals a house, often forging the paperwork, and data obtained by CBS News New York shows a 240% increase in complaints to the New York Attorney General's Office from 2023 to 2025.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The team leader also has a lot of support from sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who leads UConn in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In season one, Coop swipes jewelry, expensive wine, designer handbags and more to pay his alimony, child support and to keep up appearances in a neighborhood where appearances are all that matter.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, the sequence largely swipes away hints given prior that Bowser was an absent father, but in a film where most of the characters veer toward the blandly nice, watching a dad and his son bond over their same sociopathic tendencies was the only moment that tugged at the heartstrings.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heists. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
