plunder 1 of 2

1
as in loot
valuables stolen or taken by force the thieves were promptly arrested when they tried to sell their plunder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

plunder

2 of 2

verb

as in to pillage
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plunder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of plunder are booty, loot, prize, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

When could booty be used to replace plunder?

The words booty and plunder are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for plunder?

The synonyms loot and plunder are sometimes interchangeable, but loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When is prize a more appropriate choice than plunder?

Although the words prize and plunder have much in common, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of plunder?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

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 plunder
Noun
Such tactics included the extraordinary plunder and destruction of the Hundred Years’ War and the fire bombings of cities in World War II. Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 And two, even for the plunder of a smash and grab, that seems a sloppy hiding place. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
Some Quebecois housed troops or joined pro-patriot militias; others joined the British in firing muskets and artillery at the men invading their homeland and plundering their homesteads. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025 The mosaics date from that time, and the interior also boasts Classical columns plundered from other buildings, although it’s encased in a Neoclassical facade built in the 1700s. Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plunder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunder
Noun
  • Knowing this, knowing that the briny deep awaits and that nobody’s coming to your rescue—along with the loot, the captain’s made off with the ship’s radio—would anyone blame you for being a little put-upon?
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 June 2025
  • With the loot in hand, the suspect jumped out of the taxi and ran west on 41st Ave., according to police.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Danilo Amilcar-Escobar, who was deported three times since April 2024, had pending charges for strangulation, domestic battery and cocaine possession, according to ICE.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
  • Police are trying to find the owner of the minibike and learn how the 10-year-old gained possession of it.
    Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Noni finds him in Crete, where Lion’s crew of pirates, assembled from fighters from around the world, are currently pillaging and enslaving a town.
    Kambole Campbell, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • Angry over the tagless intruders' prior antics in pillaging their resources, a horde of players descend upon the USS Callister crew, who flee while digital Nanette makes her way to the engine in the hopes of finding a solve.
    Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Eight days later, in a game relocated to Glendale, Ariz., because of deadly wildfires in Southern California, Darnold was sacked nine times and had two turnovers (including a fumble returned for touchdown) in a 27-9 loss.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Nix turned the ball over just eight times and was sacked 20 times in those final 13 games.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Expected to take a backseat to Detroit and Green Bay in a transition year, Minnesota is in the thick of things with a 13-2 record.
    Theo Gremminger, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Here are few things fantasy managers should keep an eye on heading into 2025.
    Theo Gremminger, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
  • Gaddis was an obscure state employee who was fired from his job last summer after leaking details of a secret plot by the DeSantis administration to despoil nine pristine Florida state parks with golf courses, pickleball courts and resort-style lodges — all to benefit his wealthy friends.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Moving is consistently considered one of the most stressful life events, and a lot of this has to do with the sheer amount of stuff involved.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
  • There would be nightclub stuff happening in the evenings.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Bread and milk were in short supply after worried customers raided shelves at grocery stores and bakeries.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
  • His story came into the spotlight after law enforcement raided Jamaica's Atlantis Leadership Academy.
    Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plunder. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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