as in predation
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Recent Examples of spoliation
McGinnis’ lawyer said that was tantamount to spoliation — or destruction of evidence.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
The spoliation inference becomes a presumption of guilt that's incredibly challenging to overcome.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Last Friday, Damien Marshall and other King & Spalding attorneys on behalf of MSG filed a memorandum of law in opposition to Oakley’s motion for what are known as spoliation sanctions, meaning a punishment for failure to preserve relevant evidence.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
An attorney who allows a client to continue using their phone risks spoliation as normal usage can overwrite or erase crucial data.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
That amounts to spoliation, the defense claims, and should result in the dismissal of the charges against Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 30 June 2024
The West should also prepare for a Russia that inflicts even greater spoliation on a global scale—but not drive it to do so.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
The spoliation inference becomes a presumption of guilt that's incredibly challenging to overcome.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Last Friday, Damien Marshall and other King & Spalding attorneys on behalf of MSG filed a memorandum of law in opposition to Oakley’s motion for what are known as spoliation sanctions, meaning a punishment for failure to preserve relevant evidence.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
An attorney who allows a client to continue using their phone risks spoliation as normal usage can overwrite or erase crucial data.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
That amounts to spoliation, the defense claims, and should result in the dismissal of the charges against Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 30 June 2024
The West should also prepare for a Russia that inflicts even greater spoliation on a global scale—but not drive it to do so.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoliation
Noun
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Invertebrates, on the other hand, were seen as prey that evolved protective structures such as hard shells in response to predation.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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An analysis of fossil jaws belonging to octopuses that lived between 100 million and 72 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, shows that these creatures may have been the largest animals in the sea and smart to boot, rivaling sharks and marine reptiles in their powers of predation.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Federal prosecutors charged Castillo with depredation of government property.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Colorado’s wolf depredation compensation program is the broadest in the country, Sedgeley said.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some have traveled farther as part of colonial-era collections — as far as the British Museum — and been returned; a story unto itself about the plundering of the natural world in the age of empire, and institutions reckoning with their inheritance.—
Tom Page,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
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Living through the aftermath of Rome’s plundering in 410 by the Visigoths, Augustine keenly appreciated the fact that empires come and go.—
Brett Whalen,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The looting report in Haaretz follows several other misconduct complaints against Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Spiegelman uses the term micro-looting, dressing up petty theft in political pretensions.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The people who've made it out are telling us horror stories of mass killings, of rape and pillage of women and families.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
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Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh.—
Corey Buhay,
Outside Online,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Many Indians and students of colonialism see it as a symbol of the British Empire and the domination and plunder of imperialism.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
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Critics contend the industry plunders distressed companies, leading to downsizing and cost-cutting that hurts local communities, though other research has pushed back on that reputation.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.—
Brandon Prins,
The Conversation,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Jude was painfully conscious of the despoiling of his creative talents.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoliation. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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