SPOLIATION Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

spoliation

noun

Definition of spoliation

as in predation

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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

At the time, the media mainly treated Stodden as a punchline while failing to hold Hutchison accountable for his predation.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 23 July 2026
The remarkable encounter offered passengers a front-row seat to one of nature's most powerful displays of predation in Monterey Bay.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 22 July 2026

Definition of predation

Noun

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
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

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

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

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

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
Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025

Definition of pillaging

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spoliating

spoliation

spoliations

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“Spoliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoliation. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of spoliation

noun

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