as in looted
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables
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Recent Examples of plundered
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
What’s the reward for being the most productively plundered of the mid-majors?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Scandinavian Vikings were a seafaring people who plundered both north and west Europe for centuries — a pretty tough group.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Last fall, copper thieves plundered about a dozen public streetlights over three city blocks, leaving their neighborhood in the dark.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Many of the country's ancient temples were plundered during a genocide in the 1970s and subsequent civil war.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Pahlavi ruled from 1941 to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution ousted him amid allegations of repression and accusations that the pro-Western longtime ruler had plundered his nation’s treasury.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
News Desk, Artforum, 17 Mar. 2026
The area has been plundered for centuries.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
What’s the reward for being the most productively plundered of the mid-majors?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
The Scandinavian Vikings were a seafaring people who plundered both north and west Europe for centuries — a pretty tough group.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Last fall, copper thieves plundered about a dozen public streetlights over three city blocks, leaving their neighborhood in the dark.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Many of the country's ancient temples were plundered during a genocide in the 1970s and subsequent civil war.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Pahlavi ruled from 1941 to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution ousted him amid allegations of repression and accusations that the pro-Western longtime ruler had plundered his nation’s treasury.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plundered
Verb
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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
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One world-famous example of an item of value allegedly looted from India is the Koh-i-noor diamond.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The town was sacked and burned by the Portuguese in 1531.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Plundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plundered. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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