1
as in to plunder
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
it was clear that the thieves who had ransacked the museum were professionals—they bypassed most of the exhibits and went straight for the vaults
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
I've ransacked the whole house for that book you lent me and it's nowhere to be found
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ransack
Rubio said Cuba’s current crisis should be blamed on the military officials behind GAESA, which has ransacked the country’s revenue for their benefit, leaving most Cubans impoverished.
—
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
On May 5, a person returned to their Westlake Village home and found that the house had been ransacked and multiple things had been stolen.
—Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
After John’s death in 1777, the British ransacked the Morton residence and Ann was forced to flee with her family across the Delaware River.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
The masked home invaders that ransacked a Winnetka residence in search of cryptocurrency accounts in March held a person face-down on the ground as a child ran for help, new court filings allege.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
On May 5, a person returned to their Westlake Village home and found that the house had been ransacked and multiple things had been stolen.
—Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
After John’s death in 1777, the British ransacked the Morton residence and Ann was forced to flee with her family across the Delaware River.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
The masked home invaders that ransacked a Winnetka residence in search of cryptocurrency accounts in March held a person face-down on the ground as a child ran for help, new court filings allege.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack
Verb
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New genetic data indicates that cats feeding off the abundant rodents plundering human food stores domesticated themselves for similar reasons around 10,000 years ago.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
10 June 2026
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But Texas Tech isn't the only program from the Lone Star State whose commit list LSU is plundering.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Investigators are searching for 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez-Munoz after a standoff at a home in the 700 block of Brookside Avenue.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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At a certain point, letting those structures come apart a little brings you back to spontaneity, to searching, to surprise, and above all, to simplicity.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Verb
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For decades, tomb raiders have pillaged sites across the country, selling them on the black market.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Ease off the accelerator - Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
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His attorneys contend the containers found on Pino’s boat were collected from other friends’ vessels partying with them on the sandbar that day.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Verb
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He was sacked in December 2024 after winning just twice in the Premier League to begin the 2024-25 campaign.—
Sam Joseph,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
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The result was so emphatic that the Tunisian soccer federation acted fast, sacking manager Sabri Lamouchi just hours after.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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The sandstone artifact, which depicts the Hindu epic character Duryodhana, had in fact been looted from Koh Ker in or around 1972, after the all-important UNESCO convention.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Rioters again attacked police with rocks, bottles and other objects, and looted and burned local buildings.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
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In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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New York police executing a search warrant raided an LGBTQ+ bar called the Stonewall Inn, and some of the patrons resisted as officers continued interrogating them and bar employees.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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Gordon worked with archeologists to match statues to specific sites that Toek Tik raided, mapping out looting networks.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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