looted

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 looted At least 24 vehicles were burned and shops looted as protests over a court ruling easing access to asylum turned violent in two South African cities on Thursday. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 However, in the 7th century, this all vanished; the temples were abandoned and later looted, and Kea never again revived its trade or harbor settlements. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 One of the Buddhas was looted more than 100 years ago from the Tianlongshan Grottoes, a temple complex in Shanxi Province. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Sudan’s civil war turned its national museum into a battlefield and crime scene, with ancient statues shattered, skeletal remains scorched and vaults of gold looted. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Greece has for decades demanded the return from Britain of the Parthenon Marbles, saying they were looted in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 Police say the home was looted of items that included artwork, jewelry, electronics and business documents. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Russian forces have routinely looted Ukrainian cultural objects during the course of the war, which has been going on for over four years. — News Desk, Artforum, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
  • But there is very little archaeological evidence available, given that many of the earliest Egyptian tombs were plundered and/or hastily excavated.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In the sixties, artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Peter Saul had plundered lowbrow visual culture for elemental materials.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But Nolan also throws a meditative new wrinkle into the story, as Odysseus comes to grips with his role in the Trojan War, leading the charge as his men raped, murdered and pillaged in his name.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • For decades, tomb raiders have pillaged sites across the country, selling them on the black market.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • And though his teammates were also lackadaisical when Daniels was sacked, the fact the quarterback went down with the ball in his hands with no timeouts in the first place is a real issue that Parsons believes trumps any other argument.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The game ended when Herbert was sacked after the Chargers moved to the Broncos’ 40-yard line, and time expired.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Pussycat on Biscayne Boulevard near 79th Street in Miami was raided by police 18 times between 1978 and 1987.
    — David Goodhue October 9, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The center has already been raided once, on a tip, Rana says.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.
    — Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • At least 24 of the country’s 3,700 high schools have been set on fire or ransacked, according to France’s education minister.
    — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026
  • While the mob ransacked and burned the home, local police stood by and watched.
    — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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