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Synonyms

raid

American  
[reyd] / reɪd /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • counterraid noun
  • raider noun
  • unraided adjective

Etymology

Origin of raid

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

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.

As Israel prepared for the Passover holiday, which began at sunset Wednesday, air raid sirens sounded repeatedly in the Tel Aviv area.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The stated target of the raid was illegal gambling, but it ended with more than 100 people in ICE custody.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

The U.S. captured the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, in a raid, and has worked with his successor, Delcy Rodríguez.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

"Please pay attention to air raid sirens tonight," Zelensky said earlier in his video address to the nation on Monday.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 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

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.