spoils
Britishplural noun
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(sometimes singular) valuables seized by violence, esp in war
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the rewards and benefits of public office regarded as plunder for the winning party or candidate See also spoils system
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.
Speaking to military officials on Tuesday, he said the attack on Saudi Arabia "spoils sincere efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means".
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
Atreides says he would call their daughter Ghanima, which is a name native to the fictional Fremen people in the film, meaning "spoils of war".
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
The potential spoils from prediction markets haven’t done much to help DraftKings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
Carter’s administration instituted the most sweeping reforms of the civil service since 1883’s Pendleton Act, which replaced the spoils system and created a professional, merit-based system.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
"Your mother spoils you, letting you stay up this late," Oma says, clucking her disapproval, but she leaves the radio on.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
