as in looted
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables
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Recent Examples of plundered
The last round of expansion, adding Seattle and Vancouver, came at significant cost to the league’s six original franchises, which had their rosters plundered in the expansion draft.
—
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 1 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
Pahlavi ruled from 1941 to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution ousted him amid allegations of repression and accusations that the pro-Western longtime ruler had plundered his nation’s treasury.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Abroad, America’s élite soldiers killed and plundered.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Along with goods for trade and plundered wealth, concepts of the soul have traveled the networks of empire.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The towns of Harrisonville, Butler and Osceola were plundered during Bleeding Kansas.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
These will hold a particular interest for the Bloomsbury enthusiast because the majority of them are previously unpublished (an impressive feat, given how often the various archives have been plundered by other biographers).
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
For decades, the terrorist group has plundered Gaza and sacrificed its people in pursuit of an unending messianic war to eliminate the Jewish state.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 1 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
Pahlavi ruled from 1941 to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution ousted him amid allegations of repression and accusations that the pro-Western longtime ruler had plundered his nation’s treasury.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Abroad, America’s élite soldiers killed and plundered.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Along with goods for trade and plundered wealth, concepts of the soul have traveled the networks of empire.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The towns of Harrisonville, Butler and Osceola were plundered during Bleeding Kansas.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
These will hold a particular interest for the Bloomsbury enthusiast because the majority of them are previously unpublished (an impressive feat, given how often the various archives have been plundered by other biographers).
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
For decades, the terrorist group has plundered Gaza and sacrificed its people in pursuit of an unending messianic war to eliminate the Jewish state.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plundered
Verb
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For months, mausoleums in the graveyard, some more than a hundred years old, were being looted in the dead of night, police said.—
Gaya Gupta,
Washington Post,
10 Jan. 2026
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The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ two-year occupation of Khartoum has also seen 4,000 items looted from the Sudan National Museum, including mummies dating from 2,500 BC.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Many prehistoric structures were pillaged for rock, but a remarkable number are intact.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
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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Heitinga was sacked at Ajax on November 6 with interim coach Fred Grim overseeing six victories and four defeats across 11 matches since, including the side’s 6-0 Dutch Cup loss at AZ on Wednesday, in which former Spurs striker Troy Parrott scored a hat-trick.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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Hortiz praised the Chargers’ offensive line for their play in the wake of season-ending injuries to tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but the fact was that Herbert was sacked 54 times during the regular season, the most in his six-year career, plus six more times Sunday by the Patriots.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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Getting their roster raided by Power 4 conference programs, including the one where their former coach is now running the show.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tillis said the plaque may be displayed in the Senate's third-floor public gallery, one area that was ransacked by rioters.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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According to a Mercury News report from the time, the neighbor called for help, and was soon joined by another resident who described the apartment as having been ransacked.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundered. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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