raid

[reyd]

noun

1. a sudden assault or attack, as upon something to be seized or suppressed.

   a police raid on a gambling ring.

   Synonyms: seizure

2. Military.,  a sudden attack on the enemy, as by air or by a small land force.

   Synonyms: inroad, invasion, incursion

3. a vigorous, large-scale effort to lure away a competitor's employees, members, etc.

4. Finance.,  a concerted attempt of speculators to force stock prices down.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a raid on.

2. to steal from; loot.

   a worry that the investment fund is being raided.

3. to entice away from another.

   Large companies are raiding key personnel from smaller companies.

4. to indulge oneself by taking from, especially in order to eat.

   raiding the cookie jar.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in a raid.

raid

/ reɪd /

noun

1. a sudden surprise attack

   an air raid

2. a surprise visit by police searching for criminals or illicit goods

   a fraud-squad raid

3. See also bear raid dawn raid

verb

1. to make a raid against (a person, thing, etc)

2. to sneak into (a place) in order to take something, steal, etc

   raiding the larder

Other Word Forms

• raider noun
• counterraid noun
• unraided adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of raid¹

1375–1425; Middle English (north and Scots ) ra ( i ) de, Old English rād expedition, literally, a riding; doublet of road

Word History and Origins

Origin of raid¹

C15: Scottish dialect, from Old English rād military expedition; see _road

Example Sentences

Ambitious to run for president in 1920, Palmer promised wave after wave of deportations — does that sound familiar? — and staged raids to arrest thousands of people to be deported.

Read more on Salon

US law enforcement in turn contacted British police, who raided the defendant's flat in Potters Field and found an "abduction kit" complete with cable ties and bottles of chloroform.

Read more on BBC

Another commenter observed: “It’s not even little kids that are raiding the sweets, it’s the older ones from 10-12 and teenagers and college kids that keep on taking the sweets.”

Read more on MarketWatch

The US has called for the release of 30 leaders of one of China's largest underground church network who were reportedly detained over the weekend in overnight raids in various cities.

Read more on BBC

On Friday, a Chicago TV news producer was pushed to the ground and arrested at an ICE raid.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assault 
• blockade 
• bomb 
• bombard 
• harass 
• invade 
• loot 
• overrun 
• plunder 
• ransack 
• rob 
• storm 
• strafe 
• swoop