despoil
verb (used with object)
to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage.
despoiling
-
present participleof despoil.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Plastic, along with other litter, is also despoiling the landscape and polluting our waterways.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
The world is currently producing about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, with less than 10% of it being recycled, according to the UN Environment Programme, choking landfills and despoiling oceans.
From Reuters ● Nov. 12, 2023
Residents of Papua New Guinea have accused the mining company Rio Tinto of violating their human rights by despoiling the land where they live.
From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022
The catalog of ills is long: there is the decay of the centers and the despoiling of the suburbs.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021
But in the background of all the conversations among the visitors to the island was indignation at the despoiling of the roads they had traveled.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
