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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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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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
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Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The Jewish family had hidden in Lyon during World War II, only to learn that their apartment had been looted and rented in their absence.—
Shannon Fogg,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 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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His last year was his best, though he was sacked 36 times.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
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Thus, Albuquerque recaptured and sacked the city of Goa.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pillaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillaged. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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