Thesaurus results for LOOT

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

loot 1 of 2

noun

ˈlüt

Definition of loot

as in plunder

valuables stolen or taken by force the burglar was caught when he foolishly stopped to examine the loot from the robbery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in cash

something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment a top-ranked golfer earning plenty of loot

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

If the measure passes, expect a highly spirited game of hide-the-loot. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 However, startled by the activation of the security system, the suspect fled the scene without stealing any loot. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Verb

Independent fashion brand Make My Lemonade was among those looted last weekend. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 More than 3,000 businesses were looted or damaged over the weekend, according to Commerce Minister Serge Papin, including shops in Paris’s Les Halles district. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loot

Recent Examples of Synonyms for loot

Noun

Their rackets—plunder, opium trafficking, and much else—were often run not by members of established yakuza gangs but by fixers and political operators who exploited their connections with the Imperial Japanese Army.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The law came in response to the historic genocide against Indigenous peoples, the forcible removal from their ancestral lands and widespread plunder of Indian grave sites by European settlers, the American government and zealous archaeologists.

— Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of plunder

Noun

The 2026 midterm elections are set to become the most expensive on record, as Republicans pour cash into battleground races to defy history and maintain control of Congress.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
That allows rights owners to unlock cash from income streams that may continue for decades.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of cash

Verb

Then the defense picked it up last week, picking off Justin Herbert twice (one was called back) and sacking him four times.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
When Ole Miss sacked Manning early in the second half and recovered his fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, there was a run on antacids at the concession stands.

— Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of sack

Noun

Cadogan comes from a family that knows dirt can be full of treasure.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Harrison added that among the treasures in the collection are personal photos that haven’t left the band’s archive in more than 40 years, as well as album sketches and other rare keepsakes.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of treasure

Noun

Higher mortgage rates are also giving buyers leverage to press sellers for money to buy down their rate for a few years or for the life of the loan, reducing their overall borrowing costs.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The halftime show began in partnership with The Salvation Army in 1997 as a way to raise money for the long-standing charity.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of money

Verb

Shopkeepers who’ve found their livelihoods suddenly at stake wonder where the police were while groups looted and pillaged with impunity.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
Sudan’s civil war, a conflict credibly described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has seen violence matched only by the belligerents’ rapacity in pillaging the country’s riches.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of pillage

Browse Nearby Words

loosing

loot

looted

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Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of loot

noun

verb

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