heist

American  

[hahyst] / haɪst /

noun

1. a robbery or holdup.

   Four men were involved in the armored car heist.

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verb (used with object)

1. to take unlawfully, especially in a robbery or holdup; steal.

   to heist a million dollars' worth of jewels.

2. to rob or hold up.

heist British  

/ haɪst /

noun

1. a robbery

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verb

1. (tr) to steal or burgle

Other Word Forms

• heister noun

Etymology

Origin of heist

1925–30, alteration of hoist

Example Sentences

Her departure comes just months after thieves carried out a brazen heist that stunned officials and the art world.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a Los Angeles County jewelry heist, investigators last year linked a burner phone from a traffic accident to the heist location and to other crimes.

From Los Angeles Times

AI is adding to the challenge by making trade secrets more lucrative and giving thieves a new tool to deploy in their heists.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sums were small compared with last year’s heist of France’s crown jewels from the museum, which was valued at around $100 million.

From The Wall Street Journal

It has been described as Germany's most "spectacular" bank heist in years.

From BBC

Related Words

• abduct
• divert
• loot
• pilfer
• plunder
• ransack
• remove
• swipe
• take