Synonyms of spoils

spoils 1 of 2

noun

plural of spoil

as in loots

valuables stolen or taken by force

the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loots
• plunders
• treasures
• prizes
• pillages
• swags
• booties
• windfalls
• hauls
• takes
• catches
• pilferages

spoils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spoil

1

as in taints

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

too much coddling will spoil the child

Synonyms & Similar Words

• taints
• poisons
• mars
• stains
• darkens
• touches
• tarnishes
• vitiates
• degrades
• distorts
• corrupts
• discredits
• lowers
• pollutes
• smears
• blemishes
• sullies
• blackens
• blurs
• dirties
• disgraces
• soils
• shames
• discolors
• dishonors
• tars
• clouds
• smudges
• perverts
• cheapens
• debases
• demeans
• besmirches
• debauches
• subverts
• sinks
• besmears
• abases
• demoralizes
• colors
• smirches
• twists
• smuts
• depraves
• begrimes
• bastardizes
• fouls

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• purifies
• cleanses
• elevates
• magnifies
• glorifies
• uplifts
• ennobles
• enshrines
• dignifies
• hallows

2

as in decomposes

to go through decomposition

the meat has spoiled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decomposes
• rots
• disintegrates
• decays
• corrupts
• perishes
• festers
• falls apart
• deteriorates
• molds
• descends
• putrefies
• breaks down
• crumbles
• sours
• turns
• contaminates
• fouls
• taints
• pollutes
• goes to seed
• molders
• rusts
• ferments
• defiles
• mortifies
• degenerates
• curdles
• turns off
• sinks
• declines
• addles
• withers
• dilapidates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ages
• grows
• develops
• ripens
• matures
• restores
• refreshes
• renews
• improves
• purifies
• cleanses
• integrates
• assembles
• composes
• ameliorates
• betters
• meliorates

3

as in damages

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damages
• injures
• mars
• compromises
• hurts
• cripples
• weakens
• harms
• breaks
• erodes
• impairs
• destroys
• flaws
• vitiates
• disfigures
• ruins
• undermines
• crosses (up)
• bloodies
• defaces
• blemishes
• crabs
• wounds
• deteriorates
• shatters
• endamages
• tarnishes
• enfeebles
• blights
• enervates
• wrecks
• demolishes
• washes out
• wears (away)
• scours
• wastes
• tortures
• batters
• smashes
• devastates
• annihilates
• lacerates
• desolates
• torments
• dents
• botches
• mutilates
• crushes
• wipes out
• decimates
• dings
• maims
• disables
• pulverizes
• totals
• tears down
• clobbers
• mangles
• queers
• bashes
• razes
• gums (up)
• lames
• scourges
• dints
• dashes
• does in
• bangs up
• hamstrings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repairs
• doctors
• reconstructs
• rebuilds
• fixes
• helps
• renovates
• revamps
• patches
• reconditions
• heals
• mends
• cures
• remedies
• rectifies
• improves
• rehabilitates
• enhances
• enriches
• revises
• edits
• remodels
• ameliorates
• refines
• perfects
• betters
• meliorates

4

as in indulges

to treat with great or excessive care

when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indulges
• pleases
• nurses
• delights
• babies
• pampers
• mothers
• appeases
• coddles
• satisfies
• cossets
• dandles
• contents
• mollycoddles
• humors
• caters (to)
• wet-nurses
• gratifies
• soothes
• cockers
• gladdens
• obliges
• placates
• pacifies
• mollifies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abuses
• controls
• misuses
• restrains
• mistreats
• maltreats
• mishandles
• oppresses
• disciplines
• neglects
• violates
• ill-treats
• manhandles
• ill-uses
• overlooks
• harms
• hurts
• outrages
• injures
• slights
• torments
• tortures
• molests
• victimizes
• harasses
• persecutes

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun spoils differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of spoils are booty, loot, plunder, prize, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

When can booty be used instead of spoils?

In some situations, the words booty and spoils are roughly equivalent. However, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When is it sensible to use loot instead of spoils?

While the synonyms loot and spoils are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

In what contexts can plunder take the place of spoils?

Although the words plunder and spoils have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

When might prize be a better fit than spoils?

The meanings of prize and spoils largely overlap; however, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spoils

Noun

To the best adaptor goes the spoils. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 29 Apr. 2026

After fleeing the home, the intruders allegedly regrouped with Dukes, Khiell Dukes, Anthony Ramsey and others to divide the spoils, the indictment states. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Despite the industry’s fixation on Zaslav’s big payday, the spoils from the sale will spread through the rank and file. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

During Akbar’s conquest of the Malwa region in India, Adham Khan was accused of under-reporting the spoils of the war and appropriating much of it for his own use. —Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Such is the suffering of the lowly expendables, but spoils of war for the oligarchy of greed and power. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026

Boosters, for those not acquainted with the word, are shoplifters who resell their spoils at a discount. —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026

Picking a souvenir in Sanibel is as simple as squatting down in the sand and surveying the spoils. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026

After the state passed its PFAS Drinking Water Rules in August 2020, EGLE decided to mandate PFAS sediment tests for dredging projects to make sure the spoils of such work didn’t contaminate the drinking supply. —Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026

Verb

Naturally, trouble spoils the crew’s relaxation in the form of an ocean princess named Yura (Allegra Clark; Saoiri Onishi) on the run from baddies Zodon (Christopher Corey Smith; Koichi Domoto) and Djeese (Yuri Lowenthal; Koji Yusa). —Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026

Nestled in Sonoma County, 70 miles north of San Francisco, Healdsburg is an ideal destination for enjoying delicious food, wine country spoils and relaxation. —Anna Katherine Clemmons, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

Their hollow centers can trap leftover food, which quickly spoils and attracts bacteria. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026

Pushing too much hostility between team members or pushing Anthony too hard to be the peacekeeper could easily create an ugly atmosphere that spoils the vibe. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026

Frozen fruit keeps it affordable year-round and nothing spoils mid-week. —Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

This post spoils Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026

But there was the Transformers actor, with his tattoos and pirate beard, behaving like the obnoxious guy at the bar who spoils everybody else’s night, getting into a fight, then continuing to party the next day after his high-profile arrest. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026

Sinners leading all nominees by a record-breaking margin could shake up the Oscar race, which seemed destined to come down to One Battle After Another and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet (the two films recently shared the Best Picture spoils at the Golden Globes). —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2026