Thesaurus results for PLUNDERING

plundering 1 of 2

noun

as in looting

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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

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

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 Later on, plundering Barbary pirates raided Mallorca, looting possessions, slaughtering inhabitants and capturing others for the slave trade. — Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 Kyiv has long accused Russia of plundering these regions' resources. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026 But the sea lies in a region of the Golden State where there are already numerous environmental concerns, and some residents worry that plundering for lithium could exacerbate the problem. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026 If there really was a class of unaccountable, libertine global élites plundering the world, then wasn’t Trump obviously a member? — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plundering

Noun

Efforts to prevent looting had been made even before the formation of the MFAA.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act after a generation of lobbying by educators and scientists who wanted to protect sites from commercial artifact looting and haphazard collecting by individuals.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026

Definition of looting

Verb

At a time when security measures were more relaxed, hard-up antique print dealer Robert Kindred spent the summer of 1980 pillaging rare books and antique illustrations from academic libraries nationwide.

— Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Triarchy forces that escaped the Battle of the Gullet have been pillaging the mainland, and some come across Aegon’s captors, cutting short a bit of squabbling between the two.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of pillaging

Noun

Authorities said the inmate had been in custody since April 10, 2024, while awaiting trial on charges of robbery, criminal threats, brandishing a weapon and petty theft.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Further information about the robbery was not immediately available.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

Definition of robbery

Verb

Other skulls and long bones uncovered at the site, which Carr says was among the most important in Miami-Dade, were destroyed by a gang of marauding boys.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Between matches, fans were able to relax with a somewhat less-marauding version of Haaland, as the 25-year-old put in an appearance on the late-night show FIFA World Cup on Fox After Hours with James Corden.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of marauding

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

Definition of plunder

Verb

To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.

— Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
One source close to the squad, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, told The Athletic that the AUF considered sacking Bielsa around this period, aware of the ongoing issues with the squad.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026

Definition of sacking

Noun

No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations.

— Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
The striped bass shark depredations have also been occurring off Chatham’s Monomoy Island — a hotspot for seals, which attract great white sharks.

— Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 15 June 2026

Definition of depredation

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“Plundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundering. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of plundering

noun

verb

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