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
Roughly 100,000 artworks were looted in France during the war, according to a report published by the Working Party on the Spoliation of Jews in France, set up by the French government in 1997.
—
Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 8 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
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The only time the family has been looted was in 2025, when a bear came into the yard and upturned the beehives.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
With the aid of French citizens, the Nazis looted more than 38,000 private apartments in the capital, and as many as 25,000 empty apartments that had been home to Jewish families were rented to non-Jewish tenants.
—Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Two people also reportedly broke into a storefront and looted merchandise during the event.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 8 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
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The only time the family has been looted was in 2025, when a bear came into the yard and upturned the beehives.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
With the aid of French citizens, the Nazis looted more than 38,000 private apartments in the capital, and as many as 25,000 empty apartments that had been home to Jewish families were rented to non-Jewish tenants.
—Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Two people also reportedly broke into a storefront and looted merchandise during the event.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
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But Klaasen didn’t hold back and shared an 80-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 21, and then Salil Arora (30 not out) plundered three sixes and two fours as Hyderabad notched its fifth straight win.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Five years after the Halifax Resolves were adopted, the British army briefly occupied the town and plundered its homes, according to the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites and Properties.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 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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After being officially announced last May, he was sacked just seven months into a three-year contract.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Starmer sacked Mandelson last September after a trove of emails revealed the depth of his ties with Epstein.—
Elizabeth Piper,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The action came three months after French law enforcement authorities raided X’s Paris office and summoned Musk for questioning.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
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The Upper East Side townhouse had been raided by the FBI two years earlier.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
7 May 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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The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said one of the victims returned right after the burglary happened and found their home ransacked, with the suspects getting away with $100,000 worth of their valuables.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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On May 5, a person returned to their Westlake Village home and found that the house had been ransacked and multiple things had been stolen.—
Fedor Zarkhin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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