spoliate

verb

Definition of spoliatenext
as in to wipe out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoliate
  1. wipe out
  2. sack
  3. tear down
  4. plunder
  5. loot
  6. destroy
  7. sabotage
  8. pillage
Verb
  • By the end of 1977, the ranks of the guerrilla groups had been largely wiped out, but the dictatorship’s terror continued.
    Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The mission is simple: wipe out the military-industrial complex.
    Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of wipe out
Verb
  • In March, the FBI raided the facility, leading the agency to sack its current warden after less than three months on the job.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Williams drove the Bears into Lions territory in a bid to set up a field goal which would’ve sent the game to overtime, but the 2024 No. 1 overall pick was sacked on second-and-20 from the 35-yard line.
    Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
Definition of sack
Verb
  • Which leaves the Bronx (and the city’s taxpayers) with a set of useless, money-sucking megastructures that are probably destined to be torn down.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 12 Dec. 2024
  • And earlier this week, rebels seized the city of Hama tearing down this large statue of Assad's father Hafez.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of tear down
Verb
  • Along South America’s west coast, the Englishmen continued to plunder the riches of Spanish settlements in Chile and Peru.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
  • The other person makes a beeline for the fridge, plundering 20 kilograms of butter from the chiller, Russian media reported.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
Definition of plunder
Verb
  • Following an exchange of fire with U.N. peacekeepers defending the position, the base was partially looted.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • City leaders, including the mayor, sheriff, and a Christian minister, intervened to prevent arson and murders, but white gangs looted Chinatown.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of loot
Verb
  • Al Shahabi also asked on Facebook where the recordings of surveillance cameras at regime security branches had gone, why some documents had been destroyed and why human rights groups had not done more to protect records.
    Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
  • He is then seen waving the baton, destroying property and throwing items at police, according to his criminal complaint.
    Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Without giving away too much of the ending, Gabriel sort of sabotages himself in the examination hall.
    Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Through clandestine operations and cyberattacks, the country sabotaged key Iranian nuclear facilities.
    Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of sabotage
Verb
  • The Roman Empire continues to grow, pillaging every culture in its path and forcing the survivors to fight for their lives in the ring.
    Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024
  • More than 33,000 people fled Haiti’s capital in a span of less than two weeks as gangs pillaged homes and attacked state institutions, according to a report last month from the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.
    Elliot Spagat, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
Definition of pillage
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near spoliate

spoke up

spoliate

spoliated

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoliate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...