as in robbery
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as in plundering
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of looting
Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
There were fights and looting, and by the afternoon, a fire was set at a shop on West Madison Street, according to the documentary notes.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Some of the demonstrations descended into shootings, looting and vandalism.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Everyone wanted to return home soon, to take refuge, amid fears of possible looting that failed to materialize.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
For instance, before the signing of the ceasefire agreement, there was lots of looting of humanitarian aid, and these looters were backed up.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
And though officials have warned the looting of the flood prevention program may have started under Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, the disparity between the lifestyles of the elite and regular Filipinos has been a source of anger under the current president.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
According to food-security experts, extreme malnutrition in Gaza, already high, skyrocketed after GHF took over; according to Netanyahu, the foundation failed to prevent looting by Hamas.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
The falls could become a place of learning, not of looting, as park manager Troy McCormick put it in 1994.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Rubio accused the Maduro government of looting Venezuela’s energy sector and diverting oil revenues to support Havana while ordinary Venezuelans faced fuel shortages, hunger and economic collapse despite the country’s vast oil reserves.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
That is looting, plain and simple, and clearly unlawful.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
Advisers for the company have sued James, accusing him of looting his company.
—Jonathan Randles, Bloomberg, 31 Dec. 2025
Despite the site being vulnerable to antiquities looting in the past, the artifacts miraculously survived 1,400 years.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Another possibility is that his remains were moved later due to looting.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
Books permit these corporations—many of them whose foundations are tied to European colonialism and the history of expropriation and looting—to be authors in the telling of history and culture.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
There were fights and looting, and by the afternoon, a fire was set at a shop on West Madison Street, according to the documentary notes.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Some of the demonstrations descended into shootings, looting and vandalism.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Everyone wanted to return home soon, to take refuge, amid fears of possible looting that failed to materialize.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
For instance, before the signing of the ceasefire agreement, there was lots of looting of humanitarian aid, and these looters were backed up.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
And though officials have warned the looting of the flood prevention program may have started under Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, the disparity between the lifestyles of the elite and regular Filipinos has been a source of anger under the current president.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
According to food-security experts, extreme malnutrition in Gaza, already high, skyrocketed after GHF took over; according to Netanyahu, the foundation failed to prevent looting by Hamas.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
The falls could become a place of learning, not of looting, as park manager Troy McCormick put it in 1994.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
In August 2024, students stormed her official residence, smashing walls and looting its contents, forcing her to flee into neighboring India and exile.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Rubio accused the Maduro government of looting Venezuela’s energy sector and diverting oil revenues to support Havana while ordinary Venezuelans faced fuel shortages, hunger and economic collapse despite the country’s vast oil reserves.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
That is looting, plain and simple, and clearly unlawful.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
Advisers for the company have sued James, accusing him of looting his company.
—Jonathan Randles, Bloomberg, 31 Dec. 2025
Despite the site being vulnerable to antiquities looting in the past, the artifacts miraculously survived 1,400 years.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Another possibility is that his remains were moved later due to looting.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looting
Noun
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The daylight robbery — among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory — exposed alarming security holes at the Paris landmark.—
John Leicester,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Officials said Cinsero was received from Los Angeles County in July 2015 to serve a five-year sentence for second-degree robbery.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If there really was a class of unaccountable, libertine global élites plundering the world, then wasn’t Trump obviously a member?—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Most Americans don’t want our nation to be an imperial aggressor threatening, conquering and plundering weaker nations.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On Tuesday, the PDF retaliated by raiding positions held by the MNRA.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
But is raiding your retirement for a home purchase a financially sound idea?—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In October 2024, 20 mountain lions were killed through depredation permits statewide, the DFW reported.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Wolf depredation in Cochise County last summer resulted in the relocation of a pack from southern Arizona to captivity in New Mexico.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Getty Images Tottenham Hotspur are searching for their eighth manager/head coach (interim and permanent) since 2019 after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday amid a run of two wins in 17 Premier League games.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Seattle swarmed quarterback Drake Maye all game, sacking him six times and forcing three turnovers, leaving New England scoreless through the first three quarters.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rutter, the club’s record £40m buy from Leeds United, was an instant hit last season with insatiable work rate and marauding runs until an ankle injury ruled him out from March for the rest of the campaign.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After more than a century of plunder and strife, under tyrants as diverse as King Leopold II of Belgium and Mobutu Sese Seko, the present-day DRC still occupies the dark heart of the continent in much of the world’s imagination.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Venezuelan regime is broadly unpopular in Latin America; its socialism of plunder has sent millions of desperate people into Colombia and other states.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Looting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looting. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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