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
  • Much of it can be subsistence looting, with people selling antiquities because their livelihoods have been disrupted by war.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Cabinet members reserve almost a fifth of the government’s vaccine stockpile for themselves, and the public reacts with mass looting and violent civil unrest.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 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
  • Cox takes the opposite approach, emphasizing the characters and their relationships over the robbery itself.
    Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • At the time of the robbery, Wade didn’t know the car belonged to Fieri, according to SFGate.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 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
  • To the family’s lawyer, Markus Stötzel, the case is a typical example of Nazi plunder in need of immediate restoration.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
  • 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.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • The Raiders dominated the line of scrimmage, sacking Malik Willis five times and holding De'Von Achane — who rushed for 1,350 yards in 2025 — to 36 yards on 11 carries.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Minnesota pressured Love on 13 snaps in the second half, sacking him four times, and left the Packers out of sorts.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, was arrested on federal charges of depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans' memorials, according to previous reporting.
    Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026
  • She was charged with depredation against federal property and destruction of veterans’ memorials.
    Liam Scott, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • On Sunday, Turkish authorities cracked down on multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, detaining dozens of members, breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangouts.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • College sports’ current arms race of money, along with unrestricted transfers, is threatening to shut out rising challengers like UConn football, with rich teams now dangling lucrative offers and raiding talent like never before.
    U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Plundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundering. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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