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

Look for loot and get a glimpse of life in the historic Marolles district south of the city center, once famous for the increasingly rare local dialect, Brusseleer, a.k.a. —New York Times, 10 July 2025

Marvel’s Avengers had to awkwardly insert bizarre loot like finding drops of Black Widow belts or Hulk rib cages. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Verb

The analysis looked at over 156 incidents between October 2023 and May 2025, finding no reports of Hamas looting. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 1 Aug. 2025

Last week, an internal U.S. government review concluded that the militant group was not responsible for systematically looting aid. —Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 30 July 2025