PLUNDER Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'plunder' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of plunder are booty , loot , prize , spoils , and spoil . While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling. // a bootlegger's plunder

Q: When could 'booty' be used to replace 'plunder'?

The words booty and plunder are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates. // thieves dividing up their booty

Q: When would 'loot' be a good substitute for 'plunder'?

The synonyms loot and plunder are sometimes interchangeable, but loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe. // picked through the ruins for loot

Q: When is 'prize' a more appropriate choice than 'plunder'?

Although the words prize and plunder have much in common, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy. // the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Q: How do 'spoil' and 'spoils' relate to one another, in the sense of 'plunder'?

Spoil , more commonly spoils , applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest. // the spoils of political victory

plunder 1 of 2

noun

Definition of plunder

as in loot

valuables stolen or taken by force the thieves were promptly arrested when they tried to sell their plunder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in possession

chiefly dialect transportable items that one owns with all of our plunder in the pickup, we headed for the state that bills itself as the Last Frontier

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plunder

2 of 2

verb

ˈplən-dər

as in to pillage

to search through with the intent of committing robbery the escaped convict plundered the house in search of valuables

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plunder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of plunder are booty, loot, prize, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

When could booty be used to replace plunder?

The words booty and plunder are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for plunder?

The synonyms loot and plunder are sometimes interchangeable, but loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When is prize a more appropriate choice than plunder?

Although the words prize and plunder have much in common, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of plunder?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

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 plunder

Noun

The looter’s story only came to light thanks to Bradley Gordon, an American lawyer based in Cambodia who has spent much of the last 14 years investigating the plunder of Khmer cultural heritage. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 The Pirates contributed to the plunder with two errors (both of which produced runs). — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

Verb

The class-action deal covers relatives of people who donated bodies between January 2018 and March 2023, amid uncertainty over which cadavers Lodge plundered before cremation or return to families. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 21 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 See All Example Sentences for plunder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunder

Noun

After that, Afghanistan descended into anarchy, with bands of warlords grabbing turf, loot, women, and boys.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
The coin may have reached Shetland through trade with England, though researchers have not ruled out the possibility it might have been taken as loot during a raid.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of loot

Noun

The shoes became more than a possession, carrying a connection to the maker long after the customer left the shop.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Paporakis has been charged with one count of making a terrorist threat, a class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a class 3 felony, police said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of possession

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
Most notable is how the Premier League’s most famous clubs increasingly pillage the internal market for reliable and proven talent, rather than taking bets on cheaper or further-flung bets from across the continent or beyond.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of pillage

Noun

Which brings us back to the list of things that lasted longer than Zacharia’s term as White House Press Secretary.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
The wide-leg pants keep things relaxed, and the ruched waist on the knit top adds shape and makes the whole look feel more polished than a standard sweatshirt set.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of things

Verb

After Miami scored in the second OT period, Omar Thornton sacked Daniels on first down, forced an incompletion on second down, got FSU to commit a false start and forced another incompletion to set up fourth and 21.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
He was sacked five times as Texas lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 2021.

— Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sack

Noun

Of all the belongings Goyal has collected, Indian and otherwise, a suite of textile paintings from his grandfather offer the most poignant narrative.

— Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
Finding unexploded military ordnance in stockpiles of vintage belongings isn't unprecedented.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of belongings

Verb

One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
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

Definition of despoil

Noun

Even the stuff from the best Japanese markets (and a few chain sushi restaurants) will supply that familiar whiff to varying degrees.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, Kate and Hal are mostly enjoying an interlude that Hal thinks is purely romantic, with a bit of work stuff sprinkled on top, and which Kate has designed as more of a half-and-half experience.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stuff

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plums

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plundered

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Style

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

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Synonyms of plunder

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