raid
Americannoun
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a sudden assault or attack, as upon something to be seized or suppressed.
a police raid on a gambling ring.
- Synonyms:
- seizure
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Military. a sudden attack on the enemy, as by air or by a small land force.
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a vigorous, large-scale effort to lure away a competitor's employees, members, etc.
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Finance. a concerted attempt of speculators to force stock prices down.
verb (used with object)
-
to make a raid on.
-
to steal from; loot.
a worry that the investment fund is being raided.
-
to entice away from another.
Large companies are raiding key personnel from smaller companies.
-
to indulge oneself by taking from, especially in order to eat.
raiding the cookie jar.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to make a raid against (a person, thing, etc)
-
to sneak into (a place) in order to take something, steal, etc
raiding the larder
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
raidsimple
-
raidssimple
-
have raidedperfect
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has raidedperfect
-
am raidingprogressive
-
are raidingprogressive
-
is raidingprogressive
-
have been raidingperfect progressive
-
has been raidingperfect progressive
Past
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raidedsimple
-
had raidedperfect
-
was raidingprogressive
-
were raidingprogressive
-
had been raidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of raid
1375–1425; Middle English (north and Scots ) ra ( i ) de, Old English rād expedition, literally, a riding; doublet of road
Explanation
A raid is a military attack, especially a quick surprise attack. The word comes from the military but has spread out — police might raid a shady nightclub to find bad guys, or a babysitter might raid the refrigerator. When an army launches a raid, you can say they raid, or attack abruptly. This verb can also be used to mean "search" or "enter unexpectedly," as when police officers raid a suspect's home or summer campers' raid a neighboring cabin. The military meaning is the oldest, and the word comes from the Scottish rade, "a riding" or "a journey," from the Old English rad, which is also the root of road.
Vocabulary lists containing raid
Chinese History - Introductory
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Indiana Jones Vocabulary
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
A Mexican national who fell 30 feet to his death during a raid in California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The October raid led police to recover an estimated $500,000 worth of stolen Nike goods, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the wake of the announcement, Magyar said on Facebook that he had learnt of the alleged raid from Fidesz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Even after the recent raid blitz, she adds, "business is still continuing".
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
After all their planning and caution with the Ocarrion raid, it had still blown up in their faces.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
Hagans, the union leader, said she had been advising members affected by the Supreme Court ruling to get their affairs in order in case they were swept up by immigration raids.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The example they set by monetizing Greek military talent would lure many others into the freebooting life and ultimately lead, seven decades later, to the enormous plundering raids of Alexander the Great.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Volunteers who provide support and rapid response to workers before and after immigration raids were also in attendance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
According to the Home Office, immigration enforcement teams carried out 2,715 illegal working visits and raids in London during 2025, resulting in 2,172 arrests.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
There have been too many raids in this area, and Manolo is worried.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
What’s more, Solyndra was credibly accused of misleading the government about its finances in order to secure backing, leading to the company being raided by the FBI.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Police say this cash funds the prize money and covers expenses, such as a pool of vehicles and even court costs in case the hare coursers are raided.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The sale marks the end of a turbulent chapter for the estate, which was thrust into the spotlight in March 2024 when Homeland Security agents raided the property as part of their investigation into Combs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
That suffered a blow in 2011 when US forces raided a compound in Pakistan and found Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
When the Michigan state police raided an illegal Detroit bar, they discovered the local congressman, the local sheriff, and the city’s mayor all having a drink.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
It would merely be a different flavor of raiding the Treasury for personal gain.
From Slate ● May 16, 2026
“A 29% rate of preretirees raiding 10% or more of savings for a family emergency means people are going into retirement short,” Judge said.
From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026
Police were raiding the daycare centre, his friend said, go pick up your children right now.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
And while LIV’s roster raiding and seemingly endless budget offended the sport’s grandees, it forced the sleepy PGA Tour to lift itself off the wicker couch, re-engage with its remaining talent and upgrade its product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
We wind up raiding Jupiter’s dad’s collection of Disney VHS tapes and watching The Lion King on Courtney’s dinosaur...I mean VCR.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
