Definition of lootnext

loot

2 of 2

verb

as in to plunder
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the bandits looted the archaeological dig before riding off into the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun loot differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of loot are booty, plunder, prize, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When could booty be used to replace loot?

While in some cases nearly identical to loot, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When might plunder be a better fit than loot?

In some situations, the words plunder and loot are roughly equivalent. However, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

In what contexts can prize take the place of loot?

Although the words prize and loot have much in common, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of loot?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

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 loot
Noun
Loyalty over loot Missouri State was the first school to believe in him. Latif Love july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 Toek Tik did not know exactly where his loot ended up after leaving Cambodia. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Verb
Los Angeles County deputies say that an AutoZone in East Los Angeles was found looted early Saturday morning, near the spot where a street takeover had taken place. Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 And in May, the Musée D'Orsay in Paris opened a permanent gallery dedicated to paintings and sculptures by the likes of Degas, Rodin and Renoir that are thought to have been looted. Chloe Veltman, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loot
Noun
  • To the family’s lawyer, Markus Stötzel, the case is a typical example of Nazi plunder in need of immediate restoration.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
  • The second — a fastball Horwitz hit about 100 mph for a double to right field — was the start of a Pirate plunder at Sutter Health Park.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000 from Artemis Rising Foundation.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Offer is nontransferable, subject to availability, and has no cash value.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Craig was sacked three times and once UNC started keying on the run, the Horned Frogs struggled to match the Tar Heels’ physicality.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In a real game, Bryce Young would have been sacked at least a half-dozen times and probably more.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Fifty-something years later, Rush remains a North American treasure.
    Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The steward of this American treasure since the patriarch died in 2013, Jeanie Buss dug in her Christian Louboutin heels in a fight to keep her family in the hierarchy of the purple and gold.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Celebrity has always been commercial, and famous people have always converted attention into money.
    Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For one, California’s program has that annual cap on the total amount of money that can be awarded as production incentives, a limit that does not exist in other states and countries.
    Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Most notable is how the Premier League’s most famous clubs increasingly pillage the internal market for reliable and proven talent, rather than taking bets on cheaper or further-flung bets from across the continent or beyond.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • These targets include the personal business interests of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials, as well as the energy infrastructure that allows these leaders to pillage state revenues as a source of personal wealth.
    Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Towering patent leather Louboutins hid underneath the floor-grazing dress, while a tiny coin purse provided the finishing touch.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The same research cites a case in which Amazon's Alexa told a ten-year-old to touch a live electrical plug with a coin, a machine executing a request flawlessly while having no idea a child had made it.
    Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Thieves on Thursday raided the Treasure of Villena -- one of the greatest Bronze Age gold collections -- at a museum in the Spanish city of Villena, taking most of the 50-plus mainly gold bracelets, bowls, bottles and other items on display.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Mundubile, who rejected the election result as neither free nor fair, had been in hiding since security forces raided his Lusaka home during the election period.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loot. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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