plunder 1 of 2

1
as in loot
valuables stolen or taken by force the thieves were promptly arrested when they tried to sell their plunder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

plunder

2 of 2

verb

as in to pillage
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun plunder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of plunder are booty, loot, prize, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

When could booty be used to replace plunder?

The words booty and plunder are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for plunder?

The synonyms loot and plunder are sometimes interchangeable, but loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When is prize a more appropriate choice than plunder?

Although the words prize and plunder 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 plunder?

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

Examples 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 plunder
Noun
Half of nature, of each ecosystem, is protected from plunder in perpetuity. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, TIME, 17 Sep. 2024 The display of these works is supposed to prove the excellence of a system, the same system that is responsible for colonial plunder. Manuel Borja-Villel, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024
Verb
Along with thousands of others, these artifacts were plundered by French colonial troops in 1892. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024 The monastery’s refectory—with its reproduction of Veronese’s epic Wedding at Cana, the original of which was plundered by Napoleon’s army and now hangs in the Louvre—covered in floor-to-ceiling powder pink drapes. Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plunder 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunder
Noun
  • Legend says the outlaw Butch Cassidy hid vast stashes of loot across the West.
    Ethan Blevins, National Review, 5 Nov. 2024
  • So, not enough loot compared to how good the original felt.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Next week: Valor Christian at Columbine, TBA No. 2 Mountain Vista beat No. 15 Fossil Ridge, 49-14: The Golden Eagles’ shock-and-awe attack put Fossil Ridge on its heels from the start, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions en route to a resounding win.
    Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
  • The Commanders will take over for their first possession on their own 34.
    Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Big as the performance is, Stiller isn’t alone: Writer-director-star Eric Schaeffer also pillages shamelessly from the Sundance playbook of whimsy, giving himself the lion’s share of irony-laden pickup lines and depressive witticisms about the pointlessness of romance.
    Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
  • In the film, Diop, who is French and of Senegalese descent, follows the 2021 repatriation of 26 artifacts from the Musée du quai Branly back to their place of origin, Dahomey, once a kingdom in the modern-day West African nation of Benin, which France had pillaged in the 1890s.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • The Rams sacked him seven times in their overtime win last Sunday.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The Titans’ best chance to score was snuffed out near the end of the first half when Mountain View’s Kaitlyn Liddle roared in to sack sophomore quarterback Kelsey Peterson.
    Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • There are of course some areas where Salesforce could take things even further.
    Jason Andersen, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Hopefully things pick up pace next week.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • The world is a stakeholder, not a bystander, and cannot remain silent as Brazil despoils this indispensable carbon sink, irreplaceable oxygen source, and precious repository of plant and animal life.
    Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
  • Meanwhile, human activity has imperiled biodiversity as people despoil lands and waters, introduce invasive species, and harvest natural resources unsustainably.
    Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
Noun
  • Swamp Thing is a TV series for lovers of trash with cult followings, the stuff midnight marathons are made of.
    Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Now people from all over the world send me their stuff.
    Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • And in what many consider the final blow to her mayoral career, Thao’s home was raided by FBI agents in July.
    Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Kamal Adwan Hospital was raided by Israeli forces last month over allegations, denied by Palestinian officials, that militants were sheltering there.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near plunder

Cite this Entry

“Plunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plunder. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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