Synonyms of theft

theft

noun

ˈtheft 

1

as in robbery

the unlawful taking and carrying away of property without the consent of its owner

while violent crime in the city has decreased dramatically, rates of theft and vandalism have risen slightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• robbery
• stealing
• larceny
• thievery
• kidnapping
• burglary
• abduction
• smuggling
• embezzlement
• piracy
• misappropriation
• shoplifting
• pilferage
• looting
• rustling
• graft
• pilfering
• misapplication
• hijacking
• housebreaking
• peculation
• embezzling
• plundering
• spoliation
• petit larceny
• carjacking
• rapine
• petty larceny
• poaching
• pillage
• despoliation
• banditry
• filching
• purloining
• despoilment
• shanghaiing
• black marketeering

2

as in snatching

an instance of theft

the police found the stolen car an hour after the theft was reported

Synonyms & Similar Words

• snatching
• grab
• mugging
• swiping
• heist
• burglary
• pinch
• break-in
• rip-off
• holdup
• stickup

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of theft

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released the suspects' booking photos because detectives believe they may be connected to additional thefts. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026

Eastern Oklahoma has a high percentage of forest landowners who don’t live on the property, making the area a potential target for timber theft. — Chloe Bennett-Steele, StateImpact, 20 July 2026

Another Cornell study found that Connecticut police were called to nursing homes for resident-to-resident clashes more often than allegations of staff abuse, theft, and residents wandering away without supervision combined. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026

Smith was on parole and was a suspect in at least two burglaries and a car theft when Hart was killed on July 23, 1949. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026