as in looting
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as in plundering
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
soldiers pillaging the countryside for anything of value
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pillaging
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
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Picking up where episode 7 left off, Wayne (Toby Wallace) wakes up to Rue pillaging his safe.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
OpenAI has been pillaging Apple’s hardware engineering ranks for talent to work on competitors to Apple’s smart home and mobile devices, while Meta is revamping its own AI wearables.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Certainly, its portrait of a futuristic society dominated by raping, pillaging youth gangs speaking a bizarre Russian-English hybrid slang struck a few different nerves — as did its tale of one teenage sociopath’s questionable reprogramming back into society after a stint in prison.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
The internet, too, has rewired our brains in countless ways, overwhelming us with information while pillaging our attention spans.
—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
If peaceable trading isn't your dream, consider the corsair life, pillaging other ships for their precious cargo.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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
Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.
—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Picking up where episode 7 left off, Wayne (Toby Wallace) wakes up to Rue pillaging his safe.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
OpenAI has been pillaging Apple’s hardware engineering ranks for talent to work on competitors to Apple’s smart home and mobile devices, while Meta is revamping its own AI wearables.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Certainly, its portrait of a futuristic society dominated by raping, pillaging youth gangs speaking a bizarre Russian-English hybrid slang struck a few different nerves — as did its tale of one teenage sociopath’s questionable reprogramming back into society after a stint in prison.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
The internet, too, has rewired our brains in countless ways, overwhelming us with information while pillaging our attention spans.
—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
If peaceable trading isn't your dream, consider the corsair life, pillaging other ships for their precious cargo.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillaging
Noun
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Long-term restoration projects address damage caused by war, weather and looting, including the broken outline of the western side.
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This looting of the Treasury has apparently been averted, following a rare revolt by Republican lawmakers.
Verb
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New genetic data indicates that cats feeding off the abundant rodents plundering human food stores domesticated themselves for similar reasons around 10,000 years ago.
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But Texas Tech isn't the only program from the Lone Star State whose commit list LSU is plundering.
Noun
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The new headquarters opens as the department reports a 25 percent reduction in major crimes like murder, rape, robbery, and assaults over the last several years.
-
Malepeai, her co-defendant Freddie Lee Davis III, and two others who avoided federal charges were identified by police as members of a robbery crew that committed violent purse snatchings around the Bay Area.
Verb
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The showpiece against the hosts was the first genuinely one-sided final in the competition, with the Swedes unable to cope with Pele, Vava, Garrincha and the marauding Djalma Santos.
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But the porcine population has ballooned and now everyone’s up to their eyes in rampaging, marauding boars.
Noun
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No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations.
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The striped bass shark depredations have also been occurring off Chatham’s Monomoy Island — a hotspot for seals, which attract great white sharks.
Verb
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The result was so emphatic that the Tunisian soccer federation acted fast, sacking manager Sabri Lamouchi just hours after.
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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).
Noun
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The second — a fastball Horwitz hit about 100 mph for a double to right field — was the start of a Pirate plunder at Sutter Health Park.
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The looter’s story only came to light thanks to Bradley Gordon, an American lawyer based in Cambodia who has spent much of the last 14 years investigating the plunder of Khmer cultural heritage.
Verb
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Want to stop raiding the fridge every night before bed?
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While our dreams of raiding Tay Tay’s closet will likely never come true, that won’t stop of from borrowing her style and shopping Swift’s favorite designer brands.
Cite this Entry
“Pillaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillaging. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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