as in plundered
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the bandits looted the archaeological dig before riding off into the night
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Recent Examples of looted
Rioters again attacked police with rocks, bottles and other objects, and looted and burned local buildings.
—
Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Koh Ker was extensively looted in the 1970s, and at least a dozen such sculptures were smuggled out of Cambodia and sold by Latchford.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
Armed gangs, now in control of most of the capital, have emptied out entire neighborhoods, shuttered schools and set looted and set fire to hospitals.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
The mob burned and looted Shepherd’s home while attacking surrounding homes and businesses.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Two notable exceptions are Sednaya Military Prison, which was looted and partially closed, and Tadmur Military Prison, which was partly demolished by ISIS and then bombed.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
After the supermarket burned down and his mom’s store was looted during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, his family relocated to Hawaii.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Jenkins also admitted stealing cocaine, heroin, and marijuana—along with pharmaceuticals looted during the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 7 May 2026
The inscriptions were originally inlaid with gold, which was looted following the British annexation of Myanmar in 1885 and replaced with black ink beginning in 1892.
—Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Koh Ker was extensively looted in the 1970s, and at least a dozen such sculptures were smuggled out of Cambodia and sold by Latchford.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
Armed gangs, now in control of most of the capital, have emptied out entire neighborhoods, shuttered schools and set looted and set fire to hospitals.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
The mob burned and looted Shepherd’s home while attacking surrounding homes and businesses.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Two notable exceptions are Sednaya Military Prison, which was looted and partially closed, and Tadmur Military Prison, which was partly demolished by ISIS and then bombed.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
After the supermarket burned down and his mom’s store was looted during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, his family relocated to Hawaii.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Jenkins also admitted stealing cocaine, heroin, and marijuana—along with pharmaceuticals looted during the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 7 May 2026
The inscriptions were originally inlaid with gold, which was looted following the British annexation of Myanmar in 1885 and replaced with black ink beginning in 1892.
—Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
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Which were left to be plundered and destroyed?—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
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Kylian Mbappe will win the Pichichi top-scorer prize amid all the chaos at Real Madrid while Verdat Muriqi, nicknamed the pirate, has plundered 22 goals in a struggling Mallorca side.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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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
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In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That statement stood in stark contrast to the longstanding stodginess of the Kings, which dissipated into flat-out ineffectiveness under Jim Hiller for three quarters of last season until he was sacked.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
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Herbert was sacked six times during that 16-3 loss, a defeat that prompted the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman and offensive line coach Mike Devlin only days after the Chargers’ season ended with a second consecutive playoff dud and the third in the past five seasons.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Authorities raided the pawn shop on Monday.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
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During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the Gestapo frequently raided Pablo Picasso’s Left Bank apartment and studio at 7 rue de Grands-Augustins, a few steps from the Seine.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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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
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Officer Sean Lally told the court on Monday that the woman's room appeared ransacked and alleged that Jankauskas had broken a mirror and a bed.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
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On April 18, Fort Lauderdale officers were called to an Airbnb in the 1600 block of Northwest 16th Court after a group of women who had rented the home returned to find it in disarray, furniture flipped over, their belongings ransacked a man inside.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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