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loot

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verb

as in to plunder
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the bandits looted the archaeological dig before riding off into the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun loot differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of loot are booty, plunder, prize, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When could booty be used to replace loot?

While in some cases nearly identical to loot, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When might plunder be a better fit than loot?

In some situations, the words plunder and loot are roughly equivalent. However, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

In what contexts can prize take the place of loot?

Although the words prize and loot have much in common, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of loot?

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

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 loot
Noun
Cheating, hacking and opaque loot box mechanics often undermine player trust. Faizy Ahmed, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 The loot included a Twilight poster signed by stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner; signed Darth Vader and Stormtrooper helmets; and several signed Captain America shields. Michael Loria, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
In November 2024, the Associated Press reported that prices in Gaza skyrocketed after nearly 100 trucks of food and humanitarian aid were looted by armed men. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025 Archaeologists noted that many of the tombs had been looted centuries or possibly thousands of years earlier, but a few items survived. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loot
Noun
  • Such tactics included the extraordinary plunder and destruction of the Hundred Years’ War and the fire bombings of cities in World War II.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • And two, even for the plunder of a smash and grab, that seems a sloppy hiding place.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Nobody from the state shows up at Our Holy Mother of the Perpetual Deficit with a large canvas bag of cash.
    Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
  • The farm is 37 minutes west of Kansas City and is cash only.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Did Elmo get sacked as a result of President Trump’s attempts to defund public media?
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 May 2025
  • The seven-time Super Bowl champion was sacked 565 times in 335 games as quarterback, which is good for a 4.48 sack percentage.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Layering Lighting Design: Lamps in all shapes and sizes can be used to recast the feel of a room, brighten dark corners and illuminate your treasures.
    Katherine Marks, New York Times, 12 May 2025
  • Helena Simon's handcrafted blooms transform fleeting garden beauties into forever treasures.
    Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • Combs himself might have alluded to a propensity to stash money away in the 1997 hit that helped launch his rapping career after years as a producer and impresario.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Opening Brands To New Strategies Beyond saving money, generative visuals enable entirely new strategies: • Localization: Tailor visuals to different regions (e.g., winter in New York, summer in Sydney) with just a few clicks.
    Zehra Soysal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • On Sunday, the editorial staff of Télé Pluriel in the Delmas 19 neighborhood, said heavily armed gang members had broken through the station’s main barrier sometime during the night and set fire to its premises while also pillaging their offices.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Uh uh, method dressing is forever, at least for Timothée Chalamet—until the next role-of-a-lifetime comes along, or the parcels of Bob Dylan ephemera pillaged from the online auction houses stop coming through the young actor’s door that is.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That’s how many people lost money on Trump’s meme coin, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.
    Zach Everson, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • And his whole presidency began with launching tools for bribery, meme coins to fleece working people and move around money in the dark, extortion settlements from media companies and law firms who gladly pay them.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Authorities outfitted two of the cubs with tracking collars after the bears started wandering into the town of Jackson to raid garbage cans, compost bins and bird feeders for food.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
  • Massachusetts Avenue eatery Millie’s was also reportedly raided Tuesday morning, with officers wielding a search warrant signed by an ICE agent — not a judge.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loot. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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