looted

Definition of lootednext
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 The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society’s 1835 report told of a Black family whose home had been broken into and looted the year before. Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 California museum’s collection looted Police are investigating the theft of more than 1,000 items taken from the Oakland Museum of California. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 Criminality has shot up across the territory during the war; some of it is attributable to Israeli military support for clan gangs that have systematically looted aid convoys. Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2025 Thieves looted France’s most famous crown jewels, including an emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise, as Fox News Digital previously reported about the Louvre heist. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025 According to a report by the Human Rights Defense Network, at least 148 people were killed, many burned alive; 62 houses were torched, and another 26 houses were looted. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025 The angry mob looted the homes of customs agents, harassed those agents’ families, and even burned a small pleasure boat belonging to one unfortunate tax collector on the Common. Time, 9 Oct. 2025 This is the most North Korean hackers have ever looted in a single year, according to blockchain tracking firm Elliptic. Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025 In recent years, objects looted from Benin City by British soldiers in 1897 — commonly known as Benin Bronzes — have been returned to Nigeria, Asante artifacts have been returned to Ghana, and France has sent colonial-era skulls back to Madagascar. Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
  • Pahlavi ruled from 1941 to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution ousted him amid allegations of repression and accusations that the pro-Western longtime ruler had plundered his nation’s treasury.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Abroad, America’s élite soldiers killed and plundered.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Many prehistoric structures were pillaged for rock, but a remarkable number are intact.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On the fumble, he was sacked for a loss of 14 yards in a crucial third-and-10 situation late in the first half.
    Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 9 Nov. 2025
  • In the February, he was sacked, and this time Perez said yes to the top job at Vallecas.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Getting their roster raided by Power 4 conference programs, including the one where their former coach is now running the show.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Hours after thieves launched a brazen heist at the Louvre in Paris, another French museum was ransacked.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The prosecution said Hernandez hit Murray's wife and bound her with duct tape in the kitchen and Zuazo ransacked the house.
    Christina Hall, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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