looted

Definition of lootednext
past tense of loot
as in plundered
to search through with the intent of committing robbery the bandits looted the archaeological dig before riding off into the night

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 looted The Jewish family had hidden in Lyon during World War II, only to learn that their apartment had been looted and rented in their absence. Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026 One world-famous example of an item of value allegedly looted from India is the Koh-i-noor diamond. Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Two people also reportedly broke into a storefront and looted merchandise during the event. Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026 Dan Hicks, a professor of contemporary archaeology at the University of Oxford who studied the FoI responses, told the Guardian that these collections included items looted by British colonial officials and soldiers. News Desk, Artforum, 18 Mar. 2026 Shortly after the collapse of Hussein’s ruling party, crowds looted government offices and cultural sites. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026 YggTorrent has since confirmed the hacker looted sensitive data, including user passwords. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026 Most family homes had been robbed and looted. Yousra Elbagir, Time, 25 Feb. 2026 Much of the Kim clan’s once-opulent house had burned down after being looted, Kim says. Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
  • Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.
    News Desk, Artforum, 17 Mar. 2026
  • The area has been plundered for centuries.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
  • In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.
    Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.
    CBS News, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The town was sacked and burned by the Portuguese in 1531.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The couple had four eggs this season, but two were destroyed when their nest was raided by ravens.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
  • After the service at Kheimeh Molaghat, over coffee and sweets in the church fellowship hall, Bahraman recounted how armed Iranian forces raided the home of his parents about 15 years ago, because their family had converted to Christianity.
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.
    Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The dark side featured the rise of Hitler, descriptions of Kristallnacht — when Nazi youth ransacked Jewish homes and stores in 1938 — and Nazi plans for the Final Solution, or genocide of all European Jews.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • With drum circles, ransacked guest rooms and theatrical confrontations staged across sandy paths and candlelit dinners, guests become active participants in the drama.
    Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on looted

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster