loot 1 of 2

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
And sticky fingers in California are stretching out to get some of the management fees for handling the loot. Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026 The Republican donors get their roles, splitting their loot with the more pliable components of the Castro clique. Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Richard Schmeelk died at age 97 in May 2022 — but Corona kept on looting his widow’s accounts, according to court records. Kamaron McNair,dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026 The trio stripped down and left little to the imagination in their lingerie, raided the liquor cabinet, soaked in a bubble bath, stole a Grammy and cannonballed into a pool — all while looting the house for cash and jewels. Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loot
Noun
  • Many Indians and students of colonialism see it as a symbol of the British Empire and the domination and plunder of imperialism.
    Emma Caughlan, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Critics contend the industry plunders distressed companies, leading to downsizing and cost-cutting that hurts local communities, though other research has pushed back on that reputation.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • During the pandemic, the Fed launched massive bond-buying programs, cut rates to zero, and promised to keep them there, flooding the economy with cash and stoking inflation.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 May 2026
  • The airline ran out of cash, failed to secure a $500 million federal bailout, and felt the pressure of surging fuel prices.
    Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Andy Sachs (Hathaway) has just been sacked from her respected position as an award-winning reporter at a vital, forward-thinking political news outlet.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
  • While Troy may well have been sacked in a war, historians are largely unwilling to accept that it was ever destroyed by a crack team of Greek soldiers hidden inside a giant wooden horse.
    Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • To prove it, the writer-director Damian McCarthy opens his movie with the epilogue to Ohm’s latest book, a desert death trek with a Spanish treasure hunter (Austin Amelio) and his desperately thirsty child guide (Ezra Carlisle).
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • May-Tove Smiseth, an archaeologist and adviser on the Innlandet County Council, said the treasure has drummed up excitement in the archaeological community.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The high-profile event raises money for the Met’s Costume Institute, and each year the dress code for the gala takes cues from the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition.
    Beatrice Dupuy, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
  • Americans cannot afford, in lives or in money, more unrestrained, never-ending wars.
    Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • In these kinds of experiments, participants are told to practice physical activities—finger tapping, coin tossing, dart throwing with a nondominant hand—within their dreams.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
  • The coins were initially discovered by two metal detectorists in a field near the Norwegian city of Rena in the region of Østerdalen, according to the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • The five autism service centers raided by federal law enforcement on Tuesday as part of an apparent series of fraud investigations all utilize money from the same state program that two other providers have already pleaded guilty to stealing from.
    Conor Wight, CBS News, 2 May 2026
  • Both restaurants, which were allegedly used in gambling operations, were raided by the FBI Wednesday.
    Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loot. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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