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 next

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

Examples 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

Half of nature, of each ecosystem, is protected from plunder in perpetuity. —

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, TIME, 17 Sep. 2024 The display of these works is supposed to prove the excellence of a system, the same system that is responsible for colonial plunder. —

Manuel Borja-Villel, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024

Verb

Clearly, the rats’ numbers were not limited by resources, as there was always more garbage to be plundered. —

Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024 Whereas the first game took place in space, the sequel goes nautical, with a huge sea to explore and lots of machines to battle and shipwrecks to plunder. —

Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plunder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunder

Noun

Legend says the outlaw Butch Cassidy hid vast stashes of loot across the West.

Ethan Blevins, National Review, 5 Nov. 2024
So, not enough loot compared to how good the original felt.

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024