Thesaurus results for LOOTING

looting 1 of 2

noun

as in robbery

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looting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of loot

as in plundering

to search through with the intent of committing robbery the bandits looted the archaeological dig before riding off into the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 looting

Noun

The interior ministry says acid has been hurled in some cases, and that people intent on destruction and looting have grafted themselves onto the high schoolers’ movement. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The looting targeted the TPLF administration office, the regional police headquarters and some shops, Filmon said Sunday. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Following the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, burning, looting and other forms of mayhem broke out in Minneapolis and many other cities across America. — Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026 Current unchecked looting will forever handcuff future generations if not reversed with fair-share taxes coupled with strategic spending cuts over lobbyists’ objections. — Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 Cabinet members reserve almost a fifth of the government’s vaccine stockpile for themselves, and the public reacts with mass looting and violent civil unrest. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 Efforts to prevent looting had been made even before the formation of the MFAA. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026 Racial tensions were at a boiling point, and the police raid of an after-hours nightclub sparked the flame that led to looting, the destruction of nearly 1,400 buildings, multiple fires and 43 deaths as well as 342 injuries. — USA Today, 7 July 2026 The movie continues its tradition of addressing social issues, this time focusing on human equality and colonial looting, with pointed dialogue criticizing the British Empire. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Verb

The investigation was prompted by suspicion of looting at ancient sites in the Mediterranean. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 At the time, the Treasury Department accused the Maduro government of systematically looting Venezuela’s riches while relying on a network of loyal officials to maintain political control. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 Israeli soldiers filmed themselves in high definition laughing, looting homes, destroying entire rows of buildings, humiliating civilians, even killing them. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 David Cassirer has argued the law clearly requires the museum to return the painting — and has pledged to support other looting victims with any proceeds. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 At the height of the roughly two-and-a-half-hour melee that followed, as many as 1,500 people surged through Westwood Village, smashing windows, looting stores, and vandalizing cars. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026 Deputies didn't say if the suspects from the street takeover were the same who are suspected of looting the auto parts store. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group attacked a village in Congo near the border with Uganda early Saturday, killing at least 13 people and burning and looting homes, a local civil society group said. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 When a group of participants began looting, violence erupted as police attacked with tear gas and shot and killed a 16 year-old amid hundreds of arrests. — Laura French, TheWeek, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for looting

Noun

Others convicted in relation to the robbery included Brian Reader, a career criminal who was involved in other high-profile robberies before and after Brink’s-Mat, crooked solicitor Michael Relton, and McAvoy’s wife, Kathleen.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
The theft eclipses previous high-profile wine robberies in Italy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of robbery

Verb

In fact, plundering England’s lower leagues is a rich source of unique goals, from Ballard’s spectacular effort to this cheeky one from Crewe Alexandra striker Josh March in their 1-0 League Two win over Northampton on Saturday.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Nearly three decades later, Cornelius is still partying and plundering, though usually in a more relaxed fashion and with less of a Beach Boys influence.

— Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of plundering

Noun

Homer may have viewed Odysseus’s deceit and pillaging as glorious.

— Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
Taking the Scenic Route Home After their successful sneak-attack pillaging of Troy, Odysseus’ comrade Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and his men pack up and head back to Sparta.

— Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 17 July 2026

Definition of pillaging

Noun

This is among the many depredations that this supposedly mainstream Administration has committed.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
That compares with 21 depredations by wolves so far this year, with about $25,000 paid to ranchers whose cattle were killed by wolves.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of depredation

Verb

The Miami pass rush had been building toward a breakout game and finally got it against Minnesota, sacking quarterback Kyler Murray four times and hitting him on several other occasions.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
The Dolphins got constant pressure on the former first overall pick, sacking him four times.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of sacking

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
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

Definition of marauding

Noun

The law came in response to the historic genocide against Indigenous peoples, the forcible removal from their ancestral lands and widespread plunder of Indian grave sites by European settlers, the American government and zealous archaeologists.

— Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2026
To the family’s lawyer, Markus Stötzel, the case is a typical example of Nazi plunder in need of immediate restoration.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of plunder

Browse Nearby Words

looters

looting

loots

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Style

“Looting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looting. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of looting

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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