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
  • The interior ministry says acid has been hurled in some cases, and that people intent on destruction and looting have grafted themselves onto the high schoolers’ movement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The looting targeted the TPLF administration office, the regional police headquarters and some shops, Filmon said Sunday.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 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
  • Others convicted in relation to the robbery included Brian Reader, a career criminal who was involved in other high-profile robberies before and after Brink’s-Mat, crooked solicitor Michael Relton, and McAvoy’s wife, Kathleen.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The theft eclipses previous high-profile wine robberies in Italy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 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
  • The law came in response to the historic genocide against Indigenous peoples, the forcible removal from their ancestral lands and widespread plunder of Indian grave sites by European settlers, the American government and zealous archaeologists.
    — Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The Miami pass rush had been building toward a breakout game and finally got it against Minnesota, sacking quarterback Kyler Murray four times and hitting him on several other occasions.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins got constant pressure on the former first overall pick, sacking him four times.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • This is among the many depredations that this supposedly mainstream Administration has committed.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • That compares with 21 depredations by wolves so far this year, with about $25,000 paid to ranchers whose cattle were killed by wolves.
    — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An increasing number of Americans are raiding their retirement funds to tackle debt.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Preventing undesirable baboon behaviour, like raiding food, is easier than trying to tackle it once it’s become engrained.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Plundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundering. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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