as in plundered
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the burglars despoiled the art museum in search of treasures they thought they could sell to a fence
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Recent Examples of despoiled
In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.
—
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despoiled
Verb
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Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Mar. 2026
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The area has been plundered for centuries.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
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In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dan Hicks, a professor of contemporary archaeology at the University of Oxford who studied the FoI responses, told the Guardian that these collections included items looted by British colonial officials and soldiers.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
18 Mar. 2026
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Shortly after the collapse of Hussein’s ruling party, crowds looted government offices and cultural sites.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The town was sacked and burned by the Portuguese in 1531.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despoiled. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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