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

Derived Forms

• ˈraider, noun

Other Words From

• counter·raid noun verb
• un·raided 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

Polymarket said the FBI raid was "obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election."

From Salon

Thao said she has been told she is not a target in the investigation, and the FBI has yet to comment on what prompted the raid.

From Los Angeles Times

Just two years after an FBI raid found classified documents about US nuclear weapons and spy satellites stored in a bathroom, an eclectic mix of insiders are swarming to Mar-a-Lago, which is patrolled by robot dogs and armed guards on boats.

From BBC

His fatwa highlights that, according to Islamic law, a military raid should not trigger a response that exceeds the intended benefits of the action.

From BBC

Police seized a “quantity of fireworks” and two cans of petrol following a raid on a property in Magdalene last Thursday.

From BBC

Related Words

• arrest
• assault
• break in
• capture
• incursion
• invasion
• onslaught
• sortie
• surprise attack
• sweep