1
a
: a hostile or predatory incursion
b
: a surprise attack by a small force
2
a
: a brief foray outside one's usual sphere
b
: a sudden invasion by officers of the law
c
: a daring operation against a competitor
d
: the recruiting of personnel (such as faculty, executives, or athletes) from competing organizations
3
: the act of mulcting public money
4
: an attempt by professional operators to depress stock prices by concerted selling
raided; raiding; raids
: to conduct or take part in a raid
: to make a raid on
Synonyms
Examples of raid in a Sentence
Noun
They launched a raid against the enemy.
Weapons were also seized during the drug raid.
They caught five smugglers in the raid.
Verb
The village was raided often by neighboring tribes.
Police raided the house and found drugs.
Federal agents raided the warehouse, seizing stolen property and arresting five smugglers.
She raided her sister's closet to find something to wear to the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
In the end, the police raid a facility used as a base for the Slide organization.
—Isabella Wandermurem, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025
Tess Owen, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
The chef’s restaurant went on high alert on three occasions recently, after employees got word that nearby restaurants were being raided by immigration agents — only to learn that the rumors were false.
—Brett Anderson, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for raid 
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show current usage.
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Noun
While the focus of President Donald Trump's immigration policies has been on enforcement raids across the country and his executive orders, House Republicans have introduced at least six bills aimed at immigration reform.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
In the end, the police raid a facility used as a base for the Slide organization.
—Isabella Wandermurem, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
In August of 2022, after federal agents raided Mar-a-Lago as part of their investigation into potential mishandling of classified Presidential documents, a Trump supporter armed with a nail gun attempted to storm an F.B.I. office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
—Tess Owen, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
The chef’s restaurant went on high alert on three occasions recently, after employees got word that nearby restaurants were being raided by immigration agents — only to learn that the rumors were false.
—Brett Anderson, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for raid
Articles Related to raid
Dictionary Entries Near raid
Cite this Entry
“Raid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raid. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
raid
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden attack or invasion
raid
2 of 2 verb
: to make a raid on
raider
noun
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