SPOLIATION Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

spoliation

noun

Definition of spoliation

as in predation

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 spoliation However, the present tax system does not encourage conservation but rather encourages spoliation of our environment through greed and profit based on an income tax system. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 2026 McGinnis’ lawyer said that was tantamount to spoliation — or destruction of evidence. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026 During deliberations, the jury focused almost entirely on the spoliation issue. — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025 Last Friday, Damien Marshall and other King & Spalding attorneys on behalf of MSG filed a memorandum of law in opposition to Oakley’s motion for what are known as spoliation sanctions, meaning a punishment for failure to preserve relevant evidence. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025 An attorney who allows a client to continue using their phone risks spoliation as normal usage can overwrite or erase crucial data. — Lars Daniel, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoliation

Noun

Calling that private equity predation requires ignoring most of the relevant facts.

— David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Pictures of the Channel Islands in the 1980s, after an analogous period of protection from human and otter predation, show huge herds of black abalone, shell to shell, covering patches of the tidepool like floor tiling.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026

Definition of predation

Noun

As the Shiite arc of alliance weakens from Iran to Lebanon due to the US/Israeli depredation of Tehran’s power, Sunni states look set to fill the vacuum.

— Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
According to the Montana Grizzly Bear Conflict Dashboard, the state has recorded 101 conflicts so far this year, including 30 livestock depredations and 34 encounters with humans.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026

Definition of depredation

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

Definition of plundering

Noun

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

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026

Definition of looting

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

Noun

Homer may have viewed Odysseus’s deceit and pillaging as glorious.

— Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
Taking the Scenic Route Home After their successful sneak-attack pillaging of Troy, Odysseus’ comrade Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and his men pack up and head back to Sparta.

— Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 17 July 2026

Definition of pillaging

Browse Nearby Words

spoliating

spoliation

spoliations

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spoliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoliation. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spoliation

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on spoliation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes