as in plundered
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
soldiers pillaging the countryside for anything of value
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pillaged
North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.
—
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
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
At the same time, members of the powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition had pillaged and/or burned at least 410 residences and other buildings, including six schools, health centers and local nongovernmental organizations during the period.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
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
At the same time, members of the powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition had pillaged and/or burned at least 410 residences and other buildings, including six schools, health centers and local nongovernmental organizations during the period.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillaged
Verb
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Magyar has called for all of Orbán’s cronies in the government to resign and has committed to holding to account those who plundered Hungary.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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The collapse of Prospect Medical, a for-profit hospital chain plundered by private equity and the company’s management, has generated a painful litany of woes.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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The only time the family has been looted was in 2025, when a bear came into the yard and upturned the beehives.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Downing Street has blamed the Foreign Office for the failure, and a top civil servant has reportedly been sacked.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
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Mandelson was sacked in September when the extent of his ties with Epstein was revealed in documents published in the United States.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to investigators, the suspects typically forced entry by breaking windows and doors, then raided safes inside the homes.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Police throughout the United States regularly raided gay hangouts in the 1950s and ‘60s.—
Julio Capó,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pillaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillaged. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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