plundering 1 of 2

plundering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of plunder
as in pillaging
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 plundering
Noun
In Nolan’s telling, his deceit and plundering portend the collapse of the Bronze Age—a foreboding warning about greedy, fading empires that feels a little too relevant. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026 Some have traveled farther as part of colonial-era collections — as far as the British Museum — and been returned; a story unto itself about the plundering of the natural world in the age of empire, and institutions reckoning with their inheritance. — Tom Page, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026 Living through the aftermath of Rome’s plundering in 410 by the Visigoths, Augustine keenly appreciated the fact that empires come and go. — Brett Whalen, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026 An intimate doc-feature take on renowned Panamanian anthropologist Reina Torres de Araúz (1932-82), who battled the plundering of artifacts from pre-1492 tombs, told from th POV of a soon who lost her mother too soon. — John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026 ByteDance’s statement follows the Chinese tech giant receiving cease and desist letters from Disney and Paramount, calling for an immediate halt to IP plundering. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026 It was revealed during that trial that Low's plundering of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund exceeded $4 billion. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Nov. 2025 Aron Solomon on how the Meta AI copyright decision made libraries sitting ducks for AI plundering. — Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
Verb
In fact, plundering England’s lower leagues is a rich source of unique goals, from Ballard’s spectacular effort to this cheeky one from Crewe Alexandra striker Josh March in their 1-0 League Two win over Northampton on Saturday. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Nearly three decades later, Cornelius is still partying and plundering, though usually in a more relaxed fashion and with less of a Beach Boys influence. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026 In vivid strokes of saffron orange and seafoam green watercolors, Wilson rendered a vibrant portrait of herself plundering birthday cake by the handful as party guests languished around the frame. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026 Historians theorize that, among several other factors, these sea peoples plundering the Mediterranean helped usher in a Dark Age where the ability to read and write was lost in Ancient Greece. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 17 July 2026 Meanwhile, Lohar’s surviving mercenaries are plundering villages. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026 Or was the hole man-made with a malevolent intent, perhaps plundering a grave for artifacts? — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 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. — Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 10 June 2026 But Texas Tech isn't the only program from the Lone Star State whose commit list LSU is plundering. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plundering
Noun
  • But her right-wing government has since introduced tougher penalties for rioters, including financial liability for parents whose children take part in vandalism and looting.
    — Richard Engel, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Telegram closed a Barcelona group promoting Halloween looting, but a replacement drew more than 2,000 members, Spanish media reported.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Sudan’s civil war, a conflict credibly described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has seen violence matched only by the belligerents’ rapacity in pillaging the country’s riches.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Sometimes the very entities owning these hospitals and nursing homes are purposely bankrupting them, pillaging them of their value to maximize the owners’ profits.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Police in South Africa have arrested five suspects in connection with a violent farm robbery in the North West province in which a 50-year-old farmer was shot and had his ears cut off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Deputies will continue to respond to all Priority 1 calls, including reports of homicides, assaults, hostage situations, hit-and-run collisions, robberies, shots fired and plane crashes.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the bubble wrap will be coming off against a marauding Denver defense.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • California’s new Yankee masters were men of industry, which also sometimes looked like reckless plunder.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Their rackets—plunder, opium trafficking, and much else—were often run not by members of established yakuza gangs but by fixers and political operators who exploited their connections with the Imperial Japanese Army.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The underlying data shows the Chiefs should be sacking the quarterback at a higher rate already, albeit still not near an elite rate.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Sayin’s injury came after Hoosiers defender Mario Landino hit his throwing shoulder while sacking him.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • If convicted, Hinton faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the arson charge and up to 10 years for the depredation charge, according to Hertzberg.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This is among the many depredations that this supposedly mainstream Administration has committed.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • An increasing number of Americans are raiding their retirement funds to tackle debt.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Plundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundering. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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