Thesaurus results for PILLAGE

pillage 1 of 2

noun

ˈpi-lij

as in plunder

valuables stolen or taken by force the pirate ship was laden with the pillage of merchant ships from across the Spanish Main

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pillage

2 of 2

verb

as in to plunder

to search through with the intent of committing robbery soldiers pillaging the countryside for anything of value

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb pillage contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pillage are despoil, devastate, ravage, sack, and waste. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

Where would despoil be a reasonable alternative to pillage?

In some situations, the words despoil and pillage are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of pillage?

The synonyms devastate and pillage are sometimes interchangeable, but devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

When might ravage be a better fit than pillage?

While the synonyms ravage and pillage are close in meaning, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

When would sack be a good substitute for pillage?

The words sack and pillage can be used in similar contexts, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

When could waste be used to replace pillage?

The words waste and pillage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

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 pillage

Noun

At only 6 years old, Esai Reed has endured three emergency evacuations from orphanages across Haiti as gangs pillage and plunder their way through once peaceful communities. —

Dánica Coto, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2024 Byron is surveying rout and pillage, and the terrible ease with which the laws of civil society, such as respect for the elderly, are flung aside. —

Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024

Verb

The internet, too, has rewired our brains in countless ways, overwhelming us with information while pillaging our attention spans. —

Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025 Many prehistoric structures were pillaged for rock, but a remarkable number are intact. —

Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pillage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillage

Noun

After more than a century of plunder and strife, under tyrants as diverse as King Leopold II of Belgium and Mobutu Sese Seko, the present-day DRC still occupies the dark heart of the continent in much of the world’s imagination.

— Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan regime is broadly unpopular in Latin America; its socialism of plunder has sent millions of desperate people into Colombia and other states.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026