spoils 1 of 2

plural of spoil
as in loots
valuables stolen or taken by force the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spoils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spoil
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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun spoils differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of spoils are booty, loot, plunder, prize, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," 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

When can booty be used instead of spoils?

In some situations, the words booty and spoils are roughly equivalent. However, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When is it sensible to use loot instead of spoils?

While the synonyms loot and spoils are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

In what contexts can plunder take the place of spoils?

Although the words plunder and spoils have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

When might prize be a better fit than spoils?

The meanings of prize and spoils largely overlap; however, prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

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 spoils
Noun
As well as celebrating with a party at the cabaret club Crazy Horse Paris alongside some of the cast, Kardashian also received some sweet treats back at her hotel, sharing her spoils on her Instagram Stories. Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 Hamas reportedly executed a leader of the powerful Doghmush clan in March 2024, on grounds of cooperating with Israeli authorities, looting aid convoys and reselling the spoils on black market. Bobby Ghosh, Time, 16 Oct. 2025 But the culinary spoils of Pittsburgh go well beyond new restaurants. Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025 There are also the unhelpful phone calls from her husband, telling her to enjoy the spoils of the crummy motel she’s forced to reside in due to said hole. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025 Performances have undoubtedly been patchy but Liverpool were seconds away from securing a share of the spoils at both Selhurst Park and Stamford Bridge. James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 This dish will stay good for up to a month in the fridge, but good luck holding on to a jar for that long without eating all its spoils first. Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025 Many middle-income consumers own homes and have shared the spoils from rising property values, Zandi said. Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025 Instead, what outsiders mistake as a lack of control is usually careful management of who gets to steal and how the spoils are distributed. Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
That’s the kind of failing grade that ends drives and spoils red zone trips. Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 Frozen Shrimp Shellfish, like shrimp, spoils quickly, which is why many people prefer to purchase frozen shrimp. Jillian Kubala, Health, 8 Oct. 2025 This post spoils Episode 4 of The Morning Show Season 4. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Nothing spoils a Sunday afternoon outside with the family quite like your youngest child being carried off by a horde of maladjusted howler monkeys. Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025 Pre-cut produce also spoils quicker and could pick up pathogens when sliced open. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025 Farmers don’t typically grow pawpaws because the raw fruit spoils easily and is difficult to ship, according to the Kansas State University E​xtension Office. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025 The Dolphins quarterback leaves undefeated, as the defense spoils Mike Vrabel’s first trip to Hard Rock Stadium as New England’s head coach. Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoils
Verb
  • The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.
    Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Return nutrients back to the soil Fallen leaves and other plant debris act as a natural mulch, which slowly decomposes over the winter.
    Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2025
  • When leaves fall to the ground, the carbon stays in these leaves, breaks down, and decomposes and releases nutrients back into the soil that plants can take in.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The loss significantly damages Memphis’ American Conference and College Football Playoff hopes.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • An autoimmune condition that damages the stomach lining, like thyroid disease, can also cause atrophic gastritis.
    Carrie Madormo, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.
    Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
  • So much eye-candy value is maximized by David Schuurman’s widescreen photography, which frequently indulges us further with sweeping drone’s-eye views of spectacular landscapes.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.
    Lois McLatchie Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Derek gravely injures his hand.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Gafford injures ankle The Mavericks are likely to be without one of their major frontcourt pieces this preseason.
    Christian Clark, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Our project, after the rule and collapse of the Hamas-ISIS government, is to secure the people and move them through the transitional phase … to civilian institutions that govern in a way that pleases God, far from their personal interests.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Everything about it pleases me, from the correctness of all the enclitic marks upward, to the astonishing lambency of the whole.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Police were racing the clock to find the intruders; experts say thieves of such treasures typically dismantle or melt down the loot, sometimes within hours, to avoid being caught.
    Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The British Museum sacked a staff member in 2023 after about 2,000 treasures were reported missing, stolen or damaged.
    Lionel Laurent, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spoils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoils. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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