Synonyms of loot

loot 1 of 2

noun

ˈlüt 

1

as in plunder

valuables stolen or taken by force

the burglar was caught when he foolishly stopped to examine the loot from the robbery

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plunder
• treasure
• booty
• prize
• spoil
• pillage
• swag
• haul
• catch
• windfall
• pilferage
• take

2

as in cash

something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment

a top-ranked golfer earning plenty of loot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cash
• money
• coin
• currency
• bucks
• gold
• funds
• dough
• moolah
• coinage
• chips
• pelf
• change
• lucre
• shekels
• green
• wampum
• legal tender
• moola
• bread
• dollar
• cabbage
• scratch
• tender
• kale
• lolly
• needful
• long green
• shekalim
• sheqalim
• sheqels
• resources
• wallet
• shekelim
• specie
• scrip
• capital
• money order
• treasure
• jack
• paper money
• wealth
• finances
• riches
• promissory note
• pittance
• bankroll
• folding money
• roll
• bill
• pile
• draft
• abundance
• banknote
• mint
• dime
• opulence
• bundle
• bomb
• peanuts
• wad
• means
• chump change
• pot
• fortune
• greenback
• dead presidents
• big bucks
• check
• dibs
• boodle
• megabucks
• mite
• pocket money
• petty cash
• pin money
• spending money
• mad money
• shoestring
• note
• earth
• packet
• wherewithal
• cashier's check
• king's ransom

loot

2 of 2

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

• plunder
• sack
• pillage
• raid
• despoil
• ransack
• maraud
• rifle
• rake
• steal (from)
• comb
• break in
• hunt
• burglarize
• rummage
• rip off
• harry
• ravish

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

Recent Examples of loot

Noun

New legendary loot is being added, along with a welcome back bonus, and the ability to save and swap builds in the armory. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

The bulk of the loot came from a safe in the Farrior Army Goods store at 211 Main Street, which lost $500. —The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2025

Verb

During the 35-day partial government shutdown in 2018 and 2019, when the parks stayed open but staffing was greatly reduced, there were reports of vandalism, looting, and environmental destruction, such as the cutting down of Joshua trees in their namesake park. —Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 20 Feb. 2025

If the cult site wasn’t voluntarily abandoned, the paper posits, it might have been looted by thieves or destroyed by Christian missionaries. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025