1
: goods usually of considerable value taken in war : spoils
The soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.
2
: something held to resemble goods of value seized in war: such as
a
: something appropriated illegally often by force or violence
the thieves' loot
b
: illicit gains by public officials
c
: money
would not … spend all that loot on her—
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes3
: the action of looting
general loot of church land—Hilaire Belloc
Hilaire Belloc
looted; looting; loots
1
a
: to plunder or sack in war
b
: to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption
2
: to seize and carry away by force especially in war
: to engage in robbing or plundering especially in war
looter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of loot in a Sentence
Noun
After raiding the town, the soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.
The thieves got a lot of loot in the robbery.
He made a lot of loot selling cars.
Verb
The soldiers were looting every house that they came to.
Soldiers swept through the territory, looting, burning, and killing.
Recent Examples on the WebErik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Upon his release, Powell finds the widow, woos her and marries her, all in a bid to find the loot.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
Furthermore, the rise of cryptocurrency provided a virtually untraceable way of collecting and sharing loot.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
Not to mention the business with foreskins, demanded by God like genital loot, the spoils of victory, so many scalps.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Today, the frames from which thieves cut their loot still hang empty, the chance they’ll be made whole again fading with every passing year.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024
With the prep done, Washington was ready to nab her loot: a Granny Smith apple.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2023
These crimes sometimes see long caravans of late-model cars and pickups descend suddenly on stores and malls and depart with the loot almost as quickly.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
Supplementing the artistry, Disney has continued to spend the loot keeping the show’s look as crisp and buoyant as always, with the scenic, lighting and costuming designs still impactful over the years.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024
Ashley Carnahan, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2024
In the last week, armed groups have continued to loot and burn both public and private infrastructure and target critical infrastructure like police stations and the National Palace.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024
North Korea was also documented in the Microsoft report, as continuing to loot cryptocurrency for state revenue and looking to AI tools to enhance its cyber operations.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Across Port-au-Prince, armed groups are looting businesses and burning down houses.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreover, the Sudanese Army Forces are allegedly thwarting shipments of aid from across the border in Chad into Sudan, while the RSF has looted warehouses storing critical aid in the country.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
More than 1,880 homes and businesses have been looted or destroyed since January 2023, the OHCHR found.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
In January, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a painting that was looted from a Jewish family during the Nazi era should remain in the collection of Madrid’s Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in deference to Spanish law.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Weapon mods can also be looted or crafted out of two of the same mods of a lower tier.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Rebirth Loaded will be a new mid-season Resurgence mode where players deploy with their loadouts and the loot all across the island is much better than usual.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Upon his release, Powell finds the widow, woos her and marries her, all in a bid to find the loot.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024
Furthermore, the rise of cryptocurrency provided a virtually untraceable way of collecting and sharing loot.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
Not to mention the business with foreskins, demanded by God like genital loot, the spoils of victory, so many scalps.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Today, the frames from which thieves cut their loot still hang empty, the chance they’ll be made whole again fading with every passing year.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024
With the prep done, Washington was ready to nab her loot: a Granny Smith apple.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2023
These crimes sometimes see long caravans of late-model cars and pickups descend suddenly on stores and malls and depart with the loot almost as quickly.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
Supplementing the artistry, Disney has continued to spend the loot keeping the show’s look as crisp and buoyant as always, with the scenic, lighting and costuming designs still impactful over the years.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024
Verb
Last week, armed groups looted the Delmas 18 Hospital and the Saint Martin Health Center, as well as 10 pharmacies near Haiti's largest public hospital, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
—Ashley Carnahan, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2024
In the last week, armed groups have continued to loot and burn both public and private infrastructure and target critical infrastructure like police stations and the National Palace.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024
North Korea was also documented in the Microsoft report, as continuing to loot cryptocurrency for state revenue and looking to AI tools to enhance its cyber operations.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Across Port-au-Prince, armed groups are looting businesses and burning down houses.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreover, the Sudanese Army Forces are allegedly thwarting shipments of aid from across the border in Chad into Sudan, while the RSF has looted warehouses storing critical aid in the country.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
More than 1,880 homes and businesses have been looted or destroyed since January 2023, the OHCHR found.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
In January, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a painting that was looted from a Jewish family during the Nazi era should remain in the collection of Madrid’s Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in deference to Spanish law.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Weapon mods can also be looted or crafted out of two of the same mods of a lower tier.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near loot
Cite this Entry
“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loot. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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loot
1 of 2 noun
: something stolen or taken by force
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