as in stealing
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
what sort of person would pilfer lunches from the office refrigerator?
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as in pilferage
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Recent Examples of pilfering
Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
This, above, was the first of Naeher’s career on her 200th NWSL outing, pilfering a 3-3 draw (from three down, on the road) against Seattle Reign.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilfering
Verb
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Prometheus was chained to a rock for stealing the fire of the gods and giving it to human beings.—
Alan Lightman
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
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Back in May, Steven Hale pleaded guilty to spending about a year between 2021 and 2022 stealing discs from his employer and selling them online through e-commerce sites.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a 21-page ruling, Talwani found that ICE holding an 18-year-old migrant arrested on charges of shoplifting without a bond hearing violated his due process rights.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
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Now retailers say their anti-theft strategies are working, and data shows shoplifting rates are falling.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Starting in December of that year, a number of Starovoit’s former colleagues and subordinates were implicated in embezzlement of military funds—including 19 billion rubles (around $250 million) that had been allocated for defenses along the Ukrainian border.—
ANDREI KOLESNIKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Sep. 2025
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Do has been sentenced to five years in jail for accepting more than $800,000 in bribes in a scheme involving the embezzlement of millions in COVID-relief funds.—
Michael Slaten,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jamel McGriff, 42, a Bronx ex-con with a decades-long rap sheet, has been charged with 14 counts of murder and 37 charges in total, including kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, weapons offenses, grand larceny and identity theft, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The prosecutor turned to the day of the kidnapping.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As PANs disappear, attackers will adapt—hijacking devices and exploiting weak points in how these tools are secured.—
Kevin Pierce,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The gang runs a lucrative side business hijacking trucks of electronic devices — in this case, combination DVD/VHS players.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Sounders organization was fined an undisclosed amount for misappropriation of credentials.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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According to the International Trademark Association, the right of publicity is an intellectual property right that protects against the misappropriation of a person’s likeness — such as the photo — for commercial benefit.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pilfering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilfering. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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