as in robbery
the unlawful taking and carrying away of property without the consent of its owner
the security guard waited until the shoplifter had actually left the store with the item, so as to have proof of larceny
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example 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 larceny
Ramirez is charged with first-degree robbery, sixth-degree larceny and sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, according to Wethersfield police.
—
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Sanders was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and served with outstanding warrants for misdemeanor larceny and second-degree trespass, the sheriff’s office said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
The suspect, also a serial criminal, had prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, firearm charges, larceny, and disorderly conduct.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
In 2017, the Economic Policy Institute estimated that just one form of wage theft (paying below minimum wage) resulted in minimum wage workers having more than $15 billion stolen from them every year, a number that exceeds the value of all robberies, burglaries, larcenies, and car thefts combined.
—Emily Galvin Almanza, Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for larceny
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Sanders was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and served with outstanding warrants for misdemeanor larceny and second-degree trespass, the sheriff’s office said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
The suspect, also a serial criminal, had prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, firearm charges, larceny, and disorderly conduct.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
In 2017, the Economic Policy Institute estimated that just one form of wage theft (paying below minimum wage) resulted in minimum wage workers having more than $15 billion stolen from them every year, a number that exceeds the value of all robberies, burglaries, larcenies, and car thefts combined.
—Emily Galvin Almanza, Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for larceny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for larceny
Noun
-
Nastasa has been arrested 38 times in New York City, with charges including robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, grand larceny, threat by phone and criminal contempt.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The play, like the movie, is loosely based on a robbery that took place in 1972, on a boiling-hot August day, when an eccentric, deep-in-debt Vietnam veteran named John Wojtowicz entered a Chase bank in Brooklyn with a gun and two accomplices, hoping for a quick score.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Critics singled out her performance as scene-stealing.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
By this token, the politician who steals scraps of another’s rhetoric (even if the actual stealing is performed by speechwriters) is derided as if he had been found watching pornography.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Petty crime, like pickpocketing and phone theft, is more common in Paris and can be easily avoided.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Nana Opoku, a resident of Fairfax County, Virginia, is facing charges of money laundering, felony theft by taking, five counts of identity fraud, and initiation of deceptive commercial email.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Larceny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/larceny. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
