thievery

noun

ˈthēv-rē How to pronounce thievery (audio)
Definition of thieverynext
as in robbery
the unlawful taking and carrying away of property without the consent of its owner a man who has a history of petty thievery and narcotics peddling

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 thievery Instead, this is a story of thievery. — Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026 There could be a confluence of events helping fuel that brand of across-the-board thievery. — Chad Jennings, New York Times, 21 May 2026 As the truly destitute are not likely to receive such invitations, this petty thievery is simply an abuse of hospitality and an insult to those who have offered it. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2026 Spinning Up Thousands Or Millions Of Accounts In the case of AI distillation thievery, here’s how a foreign entity might proceed. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for thievery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thievery
  1. robbery
  2. stealing
  3. theft
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
Noun
  • Blatant, in-your-face lying, cheating and stealing is the norm.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The stealing of Native Americans and their homelands is not just a side story in the grand drama of American history.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of stealing
Noun
  • Joke theft, a phenomenon predating the art form of stand-up comedy, has entered an uncanny new era.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The company's preliminary findings do not definitively rule out data theft.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of theft

Browse Nearby Words

thieveries
thievery
thieves
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All