Thesaurus results for PILLAGING

pillaging 1 of 2

noun

as in looting

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pillaging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pillage

as in plundering

to search through with the intent of committing robbery soldiers pillaging the countryside for anything of value

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pillaging

Noun

Homer may have viewed Odysseus’s deceit and pillaging as glorious. — Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026 Taking the Scenic Route Home After their successful sneak-attack pillaging of Troy, Odysseus’ comrade Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and his men pack up and head back to Sparta. — Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 17 July 2026 Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025 In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging. — Brandon Prins, The Conversation, 14 July 2025

Verb

Sudan’s civil war, a conflict credibly described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has seen violence matched only by the belligerents’ rapacity in pillaging the country’s riches. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Sometimes the very entities owning these hospitals and nursing homes are purposely bankrupting them, pillaging them of their value to maximize the owners’ profits. — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 At a time when security measures were more relaxed, hard-up antique print dealer Robert Kindred spent the summer of 1980 pillaging rare books and antique illustrations from academic libraries nationwide. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026 But now, entry-level professionals are clinging to their childhood bedrooms and pillaging their family fridges as more are extending their stay than ever before. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 June 2026 Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents. — Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026 Picking up where episode 7 left off, Wayne (Toby Wallace) wakes up to Rue pillaging his safe. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 OpenAI has been pillaging Apple’s hardware engineering ranks for talent to work on competitors to Apple’s smart home and mobile devices, while Meta is revamping its own AI wearables. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026 Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillaging

Noun

The interior ministry says acid has been hurled in some cases, and that people intent on destruction and looting have grafted themselves onto the high schoolers’ movement.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
The looting targeted the TPLF administration office, the regional police headquarters and some shops, Filmon said Sunday.

— Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of looting

Verb

In fact, plundering England’s lower leagues is a rich source of unique goals, from Ballard’s spectacular effort to this cheeky one from Crewe Alexandra striker Josh March in their 1-0 League Two win over Northampton on Saturday.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Nearly three decades later, Cornelius is still partying and plundering, though usually in a more relaxed fashion and with less of a Beach Boys influence.

— Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of plundering

Noun

In April 2023, Towsley received a tip from an inmate at a Florida prison that another inmate might know about Heron’s murder — Hanfield, who was sentenced to prison in 2008 for a robbery in Broward County and is serving a 25-year sentence.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Two felony robbery charges were dismissed as part of that plea.

— Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of robbery

Verb

Meanwhile, the bubble wrap will be coming off against a marauding Denver defense.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of marauding

Noun

This is among the many depredations that this supposedly mainstream Administration has committed.

— David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
That compares with 21 depredations by wolves so far this year, with about $25,000 paid to ranchers whose cattle were killed by wolves.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of depredation

Verb

The Miami pass rush had been building toward a breakout game and finally got it against Minnesota, sacking quarterback Kyler Murray four times and hitting him on several other occasions.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
The Dolphins got constant pressure on the former first overall pick, sacking him four times.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of sacking

Noun

Their rackets—plunder, opium trafficking, and much else—were often run not by members of established yakuza gangs but by fixers and political operators who exploited their connections with the Imperial Japanese Army.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The law came in response to the historic genocide against Indigenous peoples, the forcible removal from their ancestral lands and widespread plunder of Indian grave sites by European settlers, the American government and zealous archaeologists.

— Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of plunder

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pillages

pillaging

pillar

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“Pillaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillaging. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pillaging

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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