1. to strip of belongings, possessions, or value; to plunder or rob
Usage: formal
2. to damage or destroy the natural beauty or resources of something
Usage: often used regarding environmental destruction

Examples

• The invading army despoils the countryside as it advances.
• Mining operations often despoil the natural landscape.
• War despoils both the land and its people.
• The hurricane despoils the coastal wetlands.
• Illegal logging despoils ancient forests.
• The dictator’s regime despoils the nation’s wealth.
• Industrial pollution despoils rivers and streams.