as in looted
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 plundered
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
Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.
—News Desk, Artforum, 17 Mar. 2026
The area has been plundered for centuries.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
What’s the reward for being the most productively plundered of the mid-majors?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Scandinavian Vikings were a seafaring people who plundered both north and west Europe for centuries — a pretty tough group.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Last fall, copper thieves plundered about a dozen public streetlights over three city blocks, leaving their neighborhood in the dark.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Many of the country's ancient temples were plundered during a genocide in the 1970s and subsequent civil war.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.
—News Desk, Artforum, 17 Mar. 2026
The area has been plundered for centuries.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
What’s the reward for being the most productively plundered of the mid-majors?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Scandinavian Vikings were a seafaring people who plundered both north and west Europe for centuries — a pretty tough group.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Last fall, copper thieves plundered about a dozen public streetlights over three city blocks, leaving their neighborhood in the dark.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Many of the country's ancient temples were plundered during a genocide in the 1970s and subsequent civil war.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plundered
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
Twenty-four years earlier, Lucescu won the Turkish Super Lig with another of that city’s clubs, Galatasaray, but was sacked at the end of the season.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
His last year was his best, though he was sacked 36 times.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
On the drive back to her dormitory, Daisy sees that the florist’s shop has been ransacked.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The house was ransacked, signaling a struggle, and blood was on a rocking chair.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundered. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
