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
That might be access to exclusive brand moments when founders come to visit, an exclusive beauty loot box only available at Bourke Street, which had 30,000 people flood in and queue up until it was totally gone. Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Yet tens of millions of dollars in loot were still making their way into the world’s most illustrious museums. Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026
Verb
Though it had been looted by kids, most of the material was eventually recovered. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 During their investigation, Gordon and his team learned that Sandak Mountain may have been looted for a specific reason. Will Croxton, CBS News, 28 June 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
  • If no one wins the jackpot, the cash prize will keep ticking up.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • There’s enough cash on hand for Rhaenyra to administer the Seven Kingdoms for a fortnight, and no one remaining from the old regime — not Alicent, not Orwyle — knows where Lannister hid the rest of the ingots.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • The Hightowers, Rhaenyra soon learns, have sacked the town of Tumbleton, a thriving city on the border of the Crownlands and the Reach.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • That came in the spring of 2025, about 11 months after his dad had been sacked as coach, when Pochettino, the new manager, gave the younger Berhalter his first national team call-up.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • Here's what to know about one of Europe's most significant historical treasures.
    Tiago Ventura, Time, 10 July 2026
  • In return, the British Museum will loan treasures from the Sutton Hoo hoard — artifacts from a 7th century Anglo Saxon ship burial — and other items to museums in Normandy.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • Well, not bad in terms of trying to showcase how much money Europe is spending on its own defense, with a raft of billion-dollar deals announced with some of the world's largest military contractors.
    Steve Sedgwick,Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • What begins as a history play transforms into a sharp-eyed satire about the cost of assimilation in a society where money, power and white privilege remain stubbornly intertwined.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Unfortunately, a group of eastern kings pillage Sodom and Gomorrah and take Lot captive along with others.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Triarchy forces that escaped the Battle of the Gullet have been pillaging the mainland, and some come across Aegon’s captors, cutting short a bit of squabbling between the two.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • The other side of the coin here is those who only want to question the integrity of the country, or only want to enumerate its deals with the devil, that’s not healthy either.
    Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026
  • My father has sued both the bank and the coin company for negligence.
    Ari Maas, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • Alaska also demonstrates that the fear that dividends automatically create dependency or invite politicians to raid the principal is overblown.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Added to this, Whitehall has historically faced criticism for treating the armed forces as a budget piggy bank to be raided whenever public funds run short.
    David Szondy July 01, New Atlas, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loot. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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