1
a
: a hostile or predatory incursion
b
: a surprise attack by a small force
2
a
: a brief foray outside one's usual sphere
b
: a sudden invasion by officers of the law
c
: a daring operation against a competitor
d
: the recruiting of personnel (such as faculty, executives, or athletes) from competing organizations
3
: the act of mulcting public money
4
: an attempt by professional operators to depress stock prices by concerted selling
raided; raiding; raids
: to conduct or take part in a raid
: to make a raid on
Synonyms
Examples of raid in a Sentence
Noun
They launched a raid against the enemy.
Weapons were also seized during the drug raid.
They caught five smugglers in the raid.
Verb
The village was raided often by neighboring tribes.
Police raided the house and found drugs.
Federal agents raided the warehouse, seizing stolen property and arresting five smugglers.
She raided her sister's closet to find something to wear to the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Numerous homes in western Gaza City burned during the raid.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Christian and his older brother Justin Combs were also detained during the raid on their dad’s Los Angeles property but they were later released.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Christian, whose mother Kim Porter died in 2018, made headlines last week when he was detained alongside older brother Justin Combs, 30, during the raid on their dad’s Los Angeles compound.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
In video footage taken of the raid, Özer, shirtless and wearing red shorts, looks shocked.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Lula declared a public-health emergency and ordered an ambitious series of raids to eject the miners.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Thousands of Russian citizens have joined volunteer units fighting with the Ukrainian military and at times crossed into Russian territory for lightning raids on border outposts.
—José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
On Monday, Israeli forces continued their week-long raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City amid Israeli claims of a Hamas presence in the facility.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The Russian police have responded to the terrorist attack, the most lethal in the country in decades, by raiding thousands of construction sites, dormitories, cafes and warehouses that employ and cater to migrants.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Three decades of raiding tombs as the titular tomb raider of the Tomb Raider franchise has landed Lara Croft in peak position atop a new list of the most iconic video game characters of all time.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
Expand All The City of Marion rejected a records request this week for text messages on the phones of top city officials sent before and after police raided the local newspaper, a move that could severely weaken a key 2016 reform of Kansas’ open records laws.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided many hospitals across the territory.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, and Tia Goldenberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
Rodrigues had made news in 2020, when federal police raided his house as part of an investigation into the embezzlement of COVID-19 relief funds.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The last pro-Democracy paper, Stand News, closed in December 2021 after it was raided and its leadership arrested.
—Michele Kelemen, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
Diddy was in the Miami area on Monday when the feds raided his home, according to a person familiar with the search.
—Camellia Burris, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
The federal raid of an area home is now legendary in the small community, said Eddie Wayne Peacher, who works for an Oklahoma City engineering company.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Numerous homes in western Gaza City burned during the raid.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Christian and his older brother Justin Combs were also detained during the raid on their dad’s Los Angeles property but they were later released.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Christian, whose mother Kim Porter died in 2018, made headlines last week when he was detained alongside older brother Justin Combs, 30, during the raid on their dad’s Los Angeles compound.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
In video footage taken of the raid, Özer, shirtless and wearing red shorts, looks shocked.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Lula declared a public-health emergency and ordered an ambitious series of raids to eject the miners.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Thousands of Russian citizens have joined volunteer units fighting with the Ukrainian military and at times crossed into Russian territory for lightning raids on border outposts.
—José Bautista, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
On Monday, Israeli forces continued their week-long raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City amid Israeli claims of a Hamas presence in the facility.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
The publisher of a Kansas newspaper that was raided by police in August is now suing officials involved in the controversial move, accusing them of retaliating against the paper and violating its First Amendment rights.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The Russian police have responded to the terrorist attack, the most lethal in the country in decades, by raiding thousands of construction sites, dormitories, cafes and warehouses that employ and cater to migrants.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Three decades of raiding tombs as the titular tomb raider of the Tomb Raider franchise has landed Lara Croft in peak position atop a new list of the most iconic video game characters of all time.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
Expand All The City of Marion rejected a records request this week for text messages on the phones of top city officials sent before and after police raided the local newspaper, a move that could severely weaken a key 2016 reform of Kansas’ open records laws.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided many hospitals across the territory.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, and Tia Goldenberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
Rodrigues had made news in 2020, when federal police raided his house as part of an investigation into the embezzlement of COVID-19 relief funds.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The last pro-Democracy paper, Stand News, closed in December 2021 after it was raided and its leadership arrested.
—Michele Kelemen, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
Diddy was in the Miami area on Monday when the feds raided his home, according to a person familiar with the search.
—Camellia Burris, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1848, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of raid was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing raid
Articles Related to raid
Dictionary Entries Near raid
Cite this Entry
“Raid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raid. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
raid
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden attack or invasion
raid
2 of 2 verb
: to make a raid on
raider
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on raid
Nglish: Translation of raid for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of raid for Arabic Speakers
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