raid
raid — noun
1. A short, targeted assault on an enemy position carried out by ground troops, nav
A short, targeted assault on an enemy position carried out by ground troops, naval vessels, or warplanes, with the aim of destroying the objective and withdrawing without lingering.
The air force carried out a raid on the enemy's main supply depot.
collocation: carry out a raid on [place]
Sahil's grandfather survived a Viking raid on his coastal village.
historical context: Viking raid
The general ordered a night raid against the rebel communication tower.
collocation: night raid
A raid by naval forces sank three enemy patrol boats before dawn.
After the raid, the troops withdrew quickly as planned.
- air raid
- night raid
- dawn raid
- military raid
- carry out a raid
- launch a raid
- attack
Broader term — covers any act of aggression, not necessarily short or surprise-based
- assault
Emphasises close, violent confrontation, often against people rather than a fixed position
- incursion
More formal; suggests crossing into enemy territory without intent to stay
- strike
Often used for precision attacks by aircraft or missiles
- retreat
The act of pulling back from enemy contact, opposite of attacking forward
Grammar Patterns
raid + on + [place]
carry out / launch + a raid
Usage Note
Common in military news reports. The target is typically a specific facility such as a depot, camp, or base, not a broad area of fighting.
Common Mistakes
2. An illegal entry into a shop, bank, or home with the intention of stealing money
An illegal entry into a shop, bank, or home with the intention of stealing money or valuable goods, often carried out quickly.
Thieves carried out a raid on a jewellery store and escaped with diamonds worth millions.
collocation: carry out a raid on [store]
The bank hired extra guards after a failed raid last month.
Pim's hardware store was hit in a raid that cleared the register and the stockroom.
passive: store was hit in a raid
Police believe the same gang planned all three raids on jewellery shops in the area.
- bank raid
- jewellery raid
- armed raid
- smash-and-grab raid
- burglary
The legal term for entering a building to steal; less emphasis on speed or surprise
- robbery
Can involve people directly (e.g. bank robbery); broader scope than raid
- heist
Informal; suggests a large, carefully planned theft, often of high value
- break-in
Focuses on the method of entry rather than the act of stealing
Grammar Patterns
raid + on + [building]
a + [type] + raid
Usage Note
Often used with 'carry out', 'conduct', or 'plan' as the verb. Unlike 'burglary', which focuses on the legal crime, 'raid' emphasises speed and the element of surprise.
Common Mistakes
3. A sudden entry by law enforcement officers into a building or area, conducted wi
A sudden entry by law enforcement officers into a building or area, conducted without warning so that they can search for evidence of a crime, illegal items, or people they want to arrest.
Police carried out a dawn raid on a suspected drug warehouse.
collocation: dawn raid
Abigail's apartment was searched during a police raid on the whole building.
The raid on the nightclub uncovered stolen phones and fake identity cards.
During the raid, officers checked every room and questioned all the staff members.
A series of raids across the city led to the arrest of twelve gang members.
collocation: a series of raids
- police raid
- dawn raid
- drug raid
- a series of raids
- carry out a raid
Grammar Patterns
raid + on + [building]
a + [type] + raid by the police
Usage Note
Frequently appears as 'dawn raid' or 'police raid' in news headlines. The purpose is usually to seize evidence or make arrests, not merely to ask questions.
Common Mistakes
4. A coordinated move by a group of traders to sell a company's shares all at once,
A coordinated move by a group of traders to sell a company's shares all at once, forcing the price down so they can buy them back more cheaply later.
A group of investors organised a raid that drove the company's share price down sharply.
financial term: organised raid on shares
Mauricio lost money when a raid by rival traders caused the stock value to crash.
Regulators are investigating whether the sudden sell-off was a coordinated raid by large investors.
The company's board feared a bear raid by short-sellers who were targeting their shares.
domain term: bear raid
- bear raid
- stock raid
- coordinated raid
- raid on shares
- bear raid
A subtype of stock raid specifically aimed at driving prices down before buying back
- cornering the market
Buying up most of a commodity or stock to control its price; different mechanism from a raid
Grammar Patterns
a + [adjective] + raid on + [company/shares]
Usage Note
A specialised finance term. In everyday conversation, 'raid' will almost never be used with this meaning. Common in financial news but avoid it in general English contexts.
Common Mistakes
raid — verb
1. To launch a sudden military strike against a specific location, usually hitting
To launch a sudden military strike against a specific location, usually hitting a target and then withdrawing without staying to fight.
The navy raided the enemy's coastal radar station before sunrise.
subject: navy / object: military facility
Troops raided the rebel camp and seized a large cache of weapons.
Élise learned how Viking warriors raided monasteries along the coast for treasure.
historical context: Viking raids
Special forces raided the building and rescued the four hostages held inside.
- raid a camp
- raid a village
- raid a base
- raid a depot
- defend
To protect a place from attack, the opposite of raiding it
Grammar Patterns
raid + [place]
Usage Note
The subject is typically military forces, rebels, pirates, or special operations units. The object is always a physical location, not a group of people.
Common Mistakes
2. To go into a building by force or stealth and steal things that belong to the pe
To go into a building by force or stealth and steal things that belong to the people inside.
Thieves raided the electronics store and got away with laptops worth thousands of dollars.
object: specific type of store
Someone raided the holiday cabin last night and took all the food from the kitchen.
A gang raided three shops in the same street before the police finally caught them.
Zayd's garage was raided and his expensive tools were stolen while he was away.
passive: place was raided
- raid a shop
- raid a house
- raid a warehouse
- raid a store
Grammar Patterns
raid + [building]
Usage Note
The subject is a thief or criminal. The object is a building, vehicle, or enclosed space. Not used with a person as the direct object — you raid a place, not a person.
Common Mistakes
3. If the police or other law enforcement officers raid a place, they enter it with
If the police or other law enforcement officers raid a place, they enter it without warning in order to search for evidence, illegal items, or wanted people.
Federal agents raided the offices of the company as part of a fraud investigation.
subject: law enforcement
Police raided the nightclub and found two kilos of cocaine in the basement.
The building was raided by anti-drug officers who had been watching it for months.
passive: was raided by [officers]
Ignacio's neighbour's house was raided at dawn by officers wearing bulletproof vests.
- raid a building
- raid a house
- raid a factory
- be raided by police
Grammar Patterns
raid + [building]
be raided by + [police force]
Usage Note
Only used with police or law enforcement as the active subject. Frequently appears in passive constructions in news reports: 'The building was raided by officers...'
Common Mistakes
4. To remove items from a container, room, or area that belongs to another person,
To remove items from a container, room, or area that belongs to another person, typically doing so without asking and often in a light-hearted or sneaky way.
Aoi raided the fridge at midnight and ate the last piece of chocolate cake.
informal: raid the fridge
The children raided the cookie jar while their mother was in the garden.
Talia raided her brother's wardrobe and borrowed his new jacket without asking.
During the party, someone raided the wine cabinet and finished every bottle.
collocation: raid [container] for [items]
- raid the fridge
- raid the cupboard
- raid the kitchen
- raid the cookie jar
- take
Neutral; does not imply secrecy or lack of permission
- snatch
Suggests grabbing something quickly and rudely; less playful
- help oneself to
Euphemistic; implies taking food/drink without asking, similar tone to 'raid'
- return
To give something back, the opposite of taking something away
Grammar Patterns
raid + [container/place] + for + [item]
Usage Note
Informal and often playful. Very common with kitchen-related objects — 'raid the fridge', 'raid the cupboard'. Never used in official or serious contexts. Distinguished from 'steal' by its light, familiar tone.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- raidernounB2
- raidingadjectiveC1
- air raidnounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Raid, attack, assault, storm, and invade all describe using force against a target, but they differ in scope, duration, and purpose. Attack is the broadest term and can describe any act of aggression, from a single punch to a full military campaign. Assault suggests a direct and often violent confrontation, usually against people rather than a fixed location. Storm implies a forceful charge intended to overwhelm defences through sheer momentum. Raid is distinct in that it describes a short, quick strike with a limited objective, followed by immediate withdrawal — it is the only word in this group that carries a strong sense of brevity and tactical surprise. Invade signals a large-scale, sustained entry with the intention of occupying the territory. For example, soldiers might raid a single enemy communications post at night, but they would invade an entire region with thousands of troops over weeks or months.
Common collocations
Phrases
- carry out a raid
- launch a raid
- conduct a raid
- be raided by
Etymology
Raid traces back to the Scottish word 'raide', meaning a military expedition on horseback. This word came from Old English 'rād', which meant 'a riding' or 'a journey on horseback'. In the 1600s, the word was used in the border regions between England and Scotland to describe quick cross-border attacks. Over time, 'raid' lost its horse-riding connection and came to mean any sudden attack, whether by soldiers, criminals, or police, while also gaining an informal sense of taking something without permission.