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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Recent Examples of looting
Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
El-Farra said police arrested one person on suspicion of looting and six others on suspicion of prowling.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 25 May 2026
Nguyen said that the Orange County Sheriff's Department had patrols in place for the neighborhoods that had been evacuated to protect them from potential looting.
—Austin Turner, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Some start in the 1800s, and others start post-1970 under the UNESCO framework that has outlawed the looting of cultural heritage across the world.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
The looting report in Haaretz follows several other misconduct complaints against Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Spiegelman uses the term micro-looting, dressing up petty theft in political pretensions.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
On the streets of Saigon, there was widespread looting.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But for many, the payment process associated with the War Damages Law dragged on into the 1960s, underlining the long-term economic impact of wartime looting.
—Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
USA Today, 2 June 2026
Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
As with Osterweil, who argued that white supremacy can render even violent looting a legitimate act, Piker and Tolentino suggest that certain crimes become not just morally justifiable but even admirable when coupled with a claim against structural injustice.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Richard Schmeelk died at age 97 in May 2022 — but Corona kept on looting his widow’s accounts, according to court records.
—Kamaron McNair,dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
The trio stripped down and left little to the imagination in their lingerie, raided the liquor cabinet, soaked in a bubble bath, stole a Grammy and cannonballed into a pool — all while looting the house for cash and jewels.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In the Midway, the United Village campus around Allianz Field is in the process of adding its first commercial buildings, six years after riots and looting shuttered the last remaining stores in the former Midway Shopping Center and seven years after the soccer stadium held its first match.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
His case grew out of a broader Miami indictment filed in 2018 that charged eight associates with looting PDVSA, including senior executives and lawyers.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
The absence of an effective police force meant the looting was impossible to prevent.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
El-Farra said police arrested one person on suspicion of looting and six others on suspicion of prowling.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 25 May 2026
Nguyen said that the Orange County Sheriff's Department had patrols in place for the neighborhoods that had been evacuated to protect them from potential looting.
—Austin Turner, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Some start in the 1800s, and others start post-1970 under the UNESCO framework that has outlawed the looting of cultural heritage across the world.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
The looting report in Haaretz follows several other misconduct complaints against Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Spiegelman uses the term micro-looting, dressing up petty theft in political pretensions.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
On the streets of Saigon, there was widespread looting.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But for many, the payment process associated with the War Damages Law dragged on into the 1960s, underlining the long-term economic impact of wartime looting.
—Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Police stopped the violence there that night, but more racist beatings and looting erupted downtown.
—USA Today, 2 June 2026
Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
As with Osterweil, who argued that white supremacy can render even violent looting a legitimate act, Piker and Tolentino suggest that certain crimes become not just morally justifiable but even admirable when coupled with a claim against structural injustice.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Richard Schmeelk died at age 97 in May 2022 — but Corona kept on looting his widow’s accounts, according to court records.
—Kamaron McNair,dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
The trio stripped down and left little to the imagination in their lingerie, raided the liquor cabinet, soaked in a bubble bath, stole a Grammy and cannonballed into a pool — all while looting the house for cash and jewels.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In the Midway, the United Village campus around Allianz Field is in the process of adding its first commercial buildings, six years after riots and looting shuttered the last remaining stores in the former Midway Shopping Center and seven years after the soccer stadium held its first match.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
His case grew out of a broader Miami indictment filed in 2018 that charged eight associates with looting PDVSA, including senior executives and lawyers.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looting
Noun
-
During these takeovers, authorities say teens often assault people and sometimes each other, commit robberies and carry out other disorderly behavior.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Two Texas teenagers are accused of using online dating platforms to lure young men into violent robberies that left one victim pistol-whipped and a 15-year-old boy shot four times, authorities said.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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But Texas Tech isn't the only program from the Lone Star State whose commit list LSU is plundering.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
27 May 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
-
In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.—
Brandon Prins,
The Conversation,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Even rural birds manage to find some human items, most likely by raiding farm bins or garages.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
At 13-years-old, Blue Ivy Carter is already raiding one of the best closets in the game.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
More than $1 million has reportedly been paid to rancher claimants for wildlife depredation.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
-
His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Villa’s then sporting director Monchi reportedly attempting a straight swap of him for goalkeeper Emi Martinez last summer is a sacking offence (perhaps literally).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Giants linebacker Abdul Carter didn’t waste any time sacking his own quarterback.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Article continues below Unfortunately, a passing asteroid deposits a killer alien robot in their midst, and the soldiers must fend for themselves as this marauding mech stalks them with guns and lasers blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
-
Many Indians and students of colonialism see it as a symbol of the British Empire and the domination and plunder of imperialism.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Critics contend the industry plunders distressed companies, leading to downsizing and cost-cutting that hurts local communities, though other research has pushed back on that reputation.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Looting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looting. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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