looted

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

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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 Despite being looted in the past, the tomb still held valuable artifacts and evidence of its use as a ritual site during the Roman era. Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 And he’s been attempting to help retrieve the Benin Bronzes, intricate sculptures looted in the 19th century from the Kingdom of Benin, today’s Benin City. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025 Their testimonies—detailing missing relatives, murdered family members, homes looted then burned—should shake us to our core. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025 The building and its presses were vandalized and looted, leading to a huge financial blow. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025 Many of the African objects European artists were exposed to were stolen or looted, their very presence in Europe made possible by way of an imperial infrastructure of transit. Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025 The paintings are even more notable, since the tomb was likely looted, as indicated by missing inscriptions, human remains, and grave goods. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 13 Feb. 2025 If the cult site wasn’t voluntarily abandoned, the paper posits, it might have been looted by thieves or destroyed by Christian missionaries. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025 This isn’t a flippant analogy; during the Indian mutiny of 1857, British soldiers looted the Taj Mahal, removing rare gems and lapis lazuli. Ralph Leonard, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looted
Verb
  • For decades, the terrorist group has plundered Gaza and sacrificed its people in pursuit of an unending messianic war to eliminate the Jewish state.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Villagers plundered the shrine and sold the bronzes to antiquities dealers like Robert Hecht, who faced allegations of smuggling before his death in 2012.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Troops raided Kamal Adwan in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the Indonesian Hospital.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Israeli forces previously raided Kamal Adwan in October and stormed the Indonesian Hospital earlier this week, forcing its evacuation.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Advertisement Others ransacked the presidential palace after Assad vanished.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Thousands of people assembled at the foot of the main square in Damascus, where rebels ransacked Assad’s residence.
    Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Looted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looted. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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