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atraco

robbery

noun ah-TRAH-koh Rare
People & Society Crime

Also means

hold-up

Usage Note

Atraco specifically refers to a robbery with violence or intimidation — a mugging or hold-up — rather than a quiet theft (robo). Atraco a mano armada is an armed robbery. The verb is atracar ('to hold up/mug'), which also means 'to dock a ship', so context is essential.

Examples

"Hubo un atraco en el banco esta mañana."

Natural Translation

There was a robbery at the bank this morning.

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